


Floatin' Through Life

by ActuallySoftaf



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff, I Have no idea what's even going on anymore, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:33:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 79,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25965925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActuallySoftaf/pseuds/ActuallySoftaf
Summary: Former childhood friends are reunited after being separated as teens. We'll shoot back and forth through time lines and between Nicole and Waverly's perspectives as they try and rekindle their relationship.Or the fic nobody asked for but are getting anywayBEAR WITH ME, IT GETS BETTER IN THE LATER CHAPTERS!
Relationships: Rosita Bustillos/Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 56
Kudos: 232





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> alright ya'll this is the second fic I've ever written and the first multi chapter one. The idea had kind of been bumping around in my empty skull for a few months now and I figured wtf might as well. 
> 
> I'll try to post regularly but I'm pretty lazy. I promise I'll finish this eventually unless I die then ya'll are SOL. 
> 
> Also Nicole and Waverly are roughly the same age and Wynonna is about 6 years older 
> 
> Anyway enjoy and don't come at me if you hate it. I'm trying my best here and obviously don't have a beta.
> 
> Tags will be added as they appear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Xavier hit the river for some sibling bonding. Oh yeah they're step sibs

Nicole: July 6th 2019 25yrs

Damn, it was hot today. Definitely over 37 degrees, probably too hot to be anywhere other than the Ghost River, tubing for the day. Nicole wiped the sweat from her brow as she pulled the tubes from her truck and started to inflate them using the cheap hand pump she told herself would work just fine. It was times like these, sweat dripping from her forehead and rolling down her chest, that she actually missed her ex. Shae would have warned her about the hand pump and would have encouraged her to spend the extra money and just get the electric one in the first place. She also, likely would have paid for it. Her salary as a cardiologist far outweighed Nicole's own as a freelance mechanic/ general jack of all trades. Work was steady, and as much as Nicole loved what she did, her "lack of direction" as Shae put it, had caused a rift in their relationship so large it could no longer be mended with soft words, soft touches and even softer lips. As much as Nicole hated to admit it, she understood. She had no desire to be the person Shae wanted her to be. After all their years together Nicole wasn’t even sure what kept her there in the first place. It certainly wasn’t love. Infatuation maybe, but never love.

Shae was a city girl with big dreams, a fancy house and extravagant life. Nicole was a country through and through. She yearned for the peace, quiet, and freedom that came from a simple small town life. The easy comforts of life with Shae had blinded her and before she knew it, she had all but stopped doing the things she loved. At this point, it had probably been a couple years since she had done something fun for herself. She was so wrapped up in Shae, before she realized it, she had sacrificed more of herself than she ever cared to admit. Ten months now, ten whole months since she separated from her ex and started to live life for herself again.

Her step brother Xavier, had suggested the tubing trip. When Nicole’s mom and step-dad decided to move them to Arizona with her grandparents, Xavier decided to stay in Purgatory. He was already enrolled in the fire fighter program and being nineteen they couldn’t really stop him. The step siblings had visited each other frequently over the years but it wasn’t until Nicole and Shae moved back to Canada the year prior to their break-up that they really started to reconnect. They were only about an hour drive from Purgatory so it was much easier to grab the occasional dinner or day hike. Still, it had been close to five years since they last did a river trip together. Right about the time she and Shae first started dating. They were visiting Shae’s parents in the nearby city so Xavier thought what better way to reconnect than the way they bonded in the first place. Nicole had turned 21 that winter and was itching to get her summer started out right, a little boozy and a little out of control. Instead, Shae complained the entire time and they ended up cutting their trip short, only floating half the river just to appease her. Nicole was so distraught over the situation she had even tried to end the relationship then and there, but whispered apologies and promises of things to come had kept her reeled in. Nicole always had a weakness for sex and after a few short months, Shae knew just how to use it to her advantage. 

After all this time, Nicole was finally getting back to who she was before Shae. Over the years, she hadn't realized how much of herself she had lost in the relationship. It wasn't that she never enjoyed the life they created together but now that they were apart, Nicole realized just how much of herself she had compromised for the stability she felt with her.

She knew she wanted that life with someone. A life with a cat and a dog and maybe even a kid or two running around causing a ruckus one day. Shae was just not the person she wanted that with anymore, maybe she never was if she were being honest. Nicole knew she needed to start focusing on herself and her wellbeing. Which is how she ended up back in her hometown, Purgatory, the place where it all began, trying her best just to get a grasp on herself again.

Muscles straining from exertion, brought Nicole back to present. With their tubes inflated Nicole made her way down to the water's edge. Xavier followed close behind, lugging the definitely over packed ice chest and container of snacks with him. Nicole, imagined she would end up sharing her drinks with really anyone who caught her eye during their trip. They say sharing is caring, and if sharing a bit of booze and snacks could help her get into the good graces of some pretty girls today, who was she to argue. It had been awhile since she had been back in the dating game, but Nicole had picked up right where she left off, using her charm, confidence, and downright adorable dimples to make girls swoon. 

A 12 pack of craft beer and a bottle of Jagermeister was probably an overkill considering Xavier didn't even drink anymore. Through everything, she loved her brother more than life itself. He was the first person she came out to and the first person to accept her for who she really was. Nicole's mom started dating Xavier’s dad when he was twelve and Nicole had just turned ten. Having no other siblings, they were always thick as thieves, and she didn't see that changing any time soon.

She stood at the edge of the water, the ends of her shoulder length red hair shining under her hat, small waves from the river’s current caressing over her river shoes and pale ankles. It was early enough in the season that her tan was nearly non-existent. Not that she really ever had one to begin with but she still preferred not to be ghostly white on the regular. She was 100% sure she was going to burn today though, and that was okay too. She had already resigned herself to the fact and knew the warm skin that would follow into the next few days would be worth it.

Honestly, she forgot how much she enjoyed this, relaxing in the luke warm waters, never getting quite cool enough. The sweltering heat kept the river around 23°. It was cathartic in a way, the warm water gently lulling her into a place of peace and nostalgia.

"Yo Nic, you ready to push out?" Xavier pulled her from her thoughts, slightly startling her. "Jesus you're in your own little world over there Kid. You alright? "

Nicole grumbled under her breath. "Hmm? Oh yeah. Jus’ one more thing." Nicole just smiled, dimples popping. She picked the well worn Stetson off her head and placed it on Xavier's, allowing her to rip her tank top off and settle in her modest forest green bikini top and small board shorts. To the untrained eye they could be mistaken for a couple given their affection and comfort around each other. Xavier's dark skin, dark eyes and imposing, stocky stature, a stark contrast to Nicole's pale skin, bright red hair, chocolate eyes and tall lanky frame. They definitely didn't resemble siblings that was for sure. Nicole hoped that the small rainbow band going across her hat, along with the interlinked rainbow women's gender tattoo she wore proudly on her right forearm would do well to clear any misunderstandings. The siblings had both been inadvertently clam jammed and cock blocked each other in the past so they knew any little thing helped.

"Alright X, let's get at it! God knows there's an abundance of opportunity here today. We best make haste!" There was a slight chuckle that made its way out of her mouth at that last line as she gestured wildly to the hundreds of women floating down around them. Nicole plucked her hat from Xavier's head and plopped it back on her own.

"Dang, taking it back already? I thought you were going to let me wear the infamous Stetson for the day." Xavier gave her a knowing smirk

At that, the floodgates to her memories broke and brought with them a rush of times she thought long forgotten. If Nicole wasn't already flushed from the heat Xavier would have noticed the blush creep up her neck and settle into her cheeks. 

"Now, now X, ya know no one wears this ol' thing but me." A lie, she knew he knew. She shot him a sly smile, as she tipped the hat towards him. There was only one other person she ever let commandeer her beloved Stetson and she was but a fleeting memory now. Lost in the time, distance, and circumstance that separated them all those years ago. 

"Besides you know my pasty ass will get burnt to hell without it." She quickly followed up, trying to push past the sudden feelings of melancholy that flooded her thoughts.

With their tubes finally tied together Nicole and Xavier pushed out onto the river with only an ice chest full of beer and water, a few random snacks, and a waterproof speaker playing a surprising mishmash of random songs to guide them. It was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

The water was warm and clear as Nicole stepped all the way in, stirring up soft earth beneath her feet and gently settling herself in her tube with a beer in each hand, Xavier holding them steady as he waited for her to get situated. Unfortunately for Nicole, he was definitely less graceful as he jumped ass first into his tube creating a wave that essentially soaked her all the way to the bone.

"Holy shit X! What the hell was that!? You ‘bout flipped my ass! Ya damn lucky neither of these beers were open yet or you'd be getting a couple ruined river beers straight to the head ya dick." Looking like a drowned rat didn't help her any and Nicole was met with raucous laughter from Xavier. 

"I am so so sorry, but that was too good an opportunity to miss! I saw you trying to act all cool over there." Xavier laughed as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Psshh excuse me Sir! I ain’t just acting cool, I am cool. All. The. Time. No exceptions." She shot back with a huff and a confirming nod.

"Okay you cocky bastard, I will just not mention all the goofy ass shit you do when you think no one is watching. Oh and don't even get me started on that fucking nerd cave of yours. Shit is out of control! How do you even have so much random shit but literally only two cups in your entire house! It makes absolutely no sense!"

"How dare you! They are collectibles! And besides, I'm only one person, why would I need more than even one cup at a time!"

"What if you have company Nic? What then? You gonna have them bring their own kitchenware?" Xavier scoffed.

"Of course not X. I have disposable dinnerware for a reason." She huffed. "And don't forget the wide variety of solo cups I have with my camping stuff. Also if they can't find the kitchenware it's more incentive for them to leave." 

With a shit eating smirk he replied, "Seriously Nic, you are one cheap mother fucker." 

Nicole wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, but in the end she knew he was right. As strong and cool and confident as she acted, under that tough exterior she was actually a big softie, kind of a dork and definitely a nerd. Sure she could build a motorcycle, or forge a knife, and wouldn't even hesitate to fight someone for the sake of herself or her family. Deep down though, she was still the same kid that cried every time she watched Homeward Bound, or when Mufasa died in the Lion King. The same nerd who got her favorite band tattooed as a sleeve across her entire left arm because she fangirled just a little too hard. The exact same fangirl that had shelves and shelves of collectibles and memorabilia lining the walls of her modest home. She would never have a "live, laugh, love" sign, but if she played her cards right she could have every collectable she could ever desire covering her walls instead. She much preferred that sight anyway.

So instead, she just scowled at him, laughed a defeated little thing and cracked open her first couple beers of the trip. The cold liquid hit her mouth and by the time it was making its way down her throat and into her stomach, it felt like all her worries went with it. She sighed at the taste as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the world around her. 

"Nic! Nic! Nicky? Cole? God damn it Nicole Haught wake the fuck up we're about to float into a bunch of trees near the shore and I need help getting us out of this shit." Xavier's slightly panicked yells and kicks to her tube, finally pulled her from herself. 

"Umm, huh.” She mumbled before taking in their situation. “Wait? What the shit bro! I close my eyes for five freakin’ minutes and ya lead us into a patch of trees?!" She woke in a panic nearly falling out of her tube as some low hanging branches whisked the top of her head, taking her most prized possession with them. If Nicole wasn't so frazzled, wasn't so focused on keeping them along with everything else they had with them from adding to the river’s collection of lost items, she probably would have noticed sooner that the one thing she cared more about than all her other possessions combined was quickly getting further and further away. 

"Dude, what the hell was that we almost lost all our shit just now!?" Nicole laugh-shouted still slightly disheveled from the recent scramble.

Xavier looked at her with a slightly panicked expression. The past couple minutes finally catching up with him. "Ni, Nicole, where, where is your hat? Did it fall in your tube or something? It was there when I woke you and now it's not." 

At his words Nicole grabbed for her head and started to panic herself. Shit. Not her hat. It was literally the one thing she had left of her dad. The one thing she had left of him before he was ripped from her world in a tragic tangle of metal and fire.

“Fuck.” 

She was with him in the truck that day, the day her whole world came crashing down around her. The two of them were headed home from her evening basketball practice when a drunk driver hit them head on. Driving down the dark country roads with his lights off, they didn't even see him coming until it was too late. 

Nicole came to, in a fit of confusion, head pounding, arm tingling as she was pushed out the broken driver's side window and onto the cold asphalt, illuminated only by the slight orange glow of the fire starting under the hood of their truck. 

"Get back Kiddo!" They were the last words her father spoke, words forever ingrained into her brain. Nathaniel Haught's legs had been pinned beneath the dash trapping him as his old 93 Silverado was not a second later, engulfed in a fit of flames and smoke. 

Her dad's Stetson had flown out of the truck with the impact of the crash. Just a little ways from where she landed, she found it sitting in the gravel. 8 year old Nicole sat on the cold road for damn near an hour, painful, confused, and crying, clutching that darn hat so tightly she was sure she'd crush it in her tiny little hands before someone found her. The lone survivor of a "tragic accident", her only injuries, a concussion, a badly broken arm, and a large gash high on her left cheekbone. The scar, a constant reminder of everything she had lost that day.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit! Are ya fuckin’ kiddin’ me!" Her accent breaking through, Nicole shouted. She knew she should have left it at home, knew it was always a risk bringing anything of significance on a tubing trip. The river waits for no one and try as you might recovering items once they were off your person was damn near impossible. She brought it on a whim, thought it would be nice to share this new chapter in her life with the small part of her dad she had left. Never in a million year had she imagined she'd lose it.

Nicole tried to stop the tears that filled her eyes as the reality of the situation hit home. "Fuck X, we need to get to shore. I can hike up the bank and see if by some miracle it's stuck in the tree. I n’ver saw it floatin' anywhere so maybe it's still there." She was definitely a mess by this point, panic attack in full swing, trying her best just to keep it together. 

"Of course Nic. If you hike up I'll stay down this way, on the off chance it floats by, I'll be able to grab it. And Nic, we'll find it, I promise." He reinforced sternly. He nearly had them both at the shoreline by the time he finished his sentence.

"Don't make promises you can't keep X. You and I both know the chances of findin' it are slim to none." Nicole grumbled, barely able to contain the sob from escaping her throat. 

She was fucked and the situation made her want to crawl back into the hole of sadness and anxiety she spent most of her childhood trying to claw her way out of. 

As she walked upstream on her own, a choked sob finally escaped her throat. She let it out, ignoring the looks of judgment and pity being thrown her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come visit me on Twitter if ya want  
> https://twitter.com/actuallysoftAF?s=09  
> Also if anyone is interested in betaing hmu


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly heads to the river with Wynonna reluctantly in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo! I decided to post chap 2 as well since 1 and 2 kind of go hand in hand.

Waverly: July 6th 2019 24yrs

"Wynonna, please get up you promised you come tubing with me today!" Waverly banged loudly on Wnyonna's door trying to get her attention only to be met with a loud growl and an annoyed "Go away Waves it's too early for this shit."

"Wy, it's already 7:00, if we want to be there by 8:00 like we planned we need to get a move on. I've already got everything we need in the jeep. You just need to get up, get dressed and eat the delicious pancakes I so thoughtfully made for breakfast so we can go." 

At this point, Waverly was starting to get slightly frustrated with her sister. They had been planning this trip for weeks, pretty much since they decided to move back to Purgatory and into their childhood home last month. Now that it was finally here. Wynonna was being difficult as always. 

"Come on Wy. I got a cooler full of booze and snacks and I bet you'll probably even meet someone worth your while there, if you catch my  _ drift _ ." Waverly laughed at her own joke. "Get it? Cause we'll be  _ drifting _ down the river today? Although, I guess we'll be doing more floating than drifting if we're being technical. Maybe you can find some  _ driftwood _ ." She couldn't help but laugh while finishing her own horrible puns."

Wynonna suppressed a laugh and grumbled again. It'd been a few weeks since Wynonna broke up with her on again/off again boyfriend, Doc so Waverly knew she was itching for some no strings attached fun. A couple weeks without sex was like a couple years in Wynonna time.

Just as Waverly went to barge in and pull her from her bed with force, the door swung open and a fully disheveled Wynonna scowled at her.

"You're not going to leave me alone if I get back in bed are you?"

Waverly shook her head no and smiled so wide it crinkled the corners of her eyes. "Go on and get dressed and I'll get you a plate of food while you do."

"Speaking of driftwood, you should know, I'm doing just fine in that department, thank you… well sort of I guess." Wynonna shot her a smug smile and before Waverly could dive deeper into whatever or whomever that was all about, she deflected with "besides I think you should be more worried about your own situation anyways. It's been what, nearly a year since you ended your engagement to Perry. I think the only person you've even made out with since then was Chrissy Nedley when you two got shit faced at Shorty's a few weeks ago."

"Nonna! Seriously! That's what you chose to remember from that night?! You were so black out drunk I was sure you couldn't even remember your own name!" Blush rushed up Waverly's neck and cheeks. Before she even realized the words rushing out of her mouth she mumbled, "Besides that was hardly a hookup, Chrissy isn't even into girls. I'm quite positive she only did it just to put on a show for Pete and Kyle York."

"So?... Weren't you doing the same?" Waverly grimaced and plastered a pleading smile across her face. Confusion clouded Wynonna's eyes for just a moment before being replaced with a softness Waverly had seen only a handful of times. "Oh… oh god Waves. Why didn't you tell me? You know I don't care about any of that shit. You know my sexual history hasn't been straight and narrow by any means. I lived in Europe for a few years for god's sake. You don't live there for that long and not explore your options if you catch my  _ drift.  _ Hold the wood though am I right?" Snickering, Wynonna held her hand up for a high five, which Waverly reciprocated softly.

"I don't know Wy. I knew you wouldn't care. I just… I wasn't even sure myself. I think I really only had feelings for one girl and I was so young I'm not even certain I was aware it was happening. It was always so much easier with guys, I knew when they liked me and since I liked them too I figured it'd just be easier and I'd never have to deal with the other stuff. But when Chrissy kissed me, it was so soft and sweet and even though I have absolutely no desire to be anything more than friends with her, it stirred something up in me I didn't even realize was there. I know it sound cliche but I think after all this time, I'm only now starting figure out who I really am." She looked up at Wynonna through her long eyelashes, eyes watering, and a timid smile gracing her lips. The look she got in return nothing but pride, acceptance, and love. "Thank you Wy, I really do love you."

Wynonna pulled Waverly into a tight hug and when she pulled back, placed a quite frankly, far too aggressive kiss on Waverly's forehead. "Psh ya can't get rid of me that easily Baby Girl. I guess I love you too. Now go get my breakfast ready, I'm starving and refuse to do anything else until I fill this belly full of pancakes and coffee and probably a bit of whiskey to top it off."

With Waverly smiling brightly at her, she slunk away to get dressed, a small smirk creeping its way to the corner of her mouth. "Oh! And you better be pouring me the biggest goddamn cup of coffee we have. Mama's gonna need a little boost if you expect me to spend all day in the sun with you."

"Of course Wynonna. Who do you think I am? It's already on the table just like you like it, hot black and strong. Also, please never call yourself Mama in front of me again. I think it made even my internal organs cringe." Face slightly twisted to accentuate her point, Waverly walked down the hall to serve them breakfast. "Oh one more thing, I invited Jeremy too." 

"Ew, what in God's name made you want to have that awkward little nerd around all day?" There was a huff as Wynonna rifled through her drawer in search of her bikini. 

"Now before you get upset, he already volunteered to be the DD so we can both drink to our hearts content. And he's a sweetheart  _ and _ we're friends.  _ Aaannnd _ I know even in all his awkwardness he's growing on you too"

"Aghh fine Waverly, whatever as long as I can get all boozy." A few minutes later, dressed in a solid black bikini hidden under a loose tank top, Wynonna marched into the kitchen, aggressively dropped down into her seat and started shoving the pancakes so quickly down her throat Waverly was sure she'd choke. She did actually choke just briefly when she took a large gulp of her coffee not expecting the hot liquid to have an extra kick of whiskey behind it. "Baby Girl you really do know me too well. Though, I never pegged you as the “let's get Wynonna drunk at 7:15 in the morning” type." Tipping her mug, Wynonna raised her eyebrow and shot Waverly a wink across the table.

"Yeah, don't get used to it, Wy. I figured I'd just give you a little something extra to get through the car ride with Jer." Waverly stated matter of factly as she tipped her glass of orange juice and nodded.

Tires crunching the gravel up the driveway grabbed their attention. Wynonna nodded toward the window facing the driveway, "Speak of the devil. I haven't even finished my coffee yet kid, I'm gonna need a minute."

"Just hurry up please. I'm going to help Jer put his stuff in the jeep while you finish up." With that Waverly skipped out the front door to meet Jeremy by the jeep.

The ride out to the river drop point was relatively uneventful. Waverly's bubbly demeanor making an easy return since her accidental outing this morning. It definitely came as a shock to have everything come out like that but when it was all said and done she felt relieved. Like she was taking her first breaths of air after drowning for over a decade. That's probably about how long it'd been anyway, since her first crush, and maybe even her first love if she was being honest with herself. 

Even now, after all the failed relationships and years later, she could still see her, invading her dreams like wildfire. 

Soft brown eyes and tuffs of glowing red hair, peaking out from under an old Stetson, shining in the sun. She brushed a loose strand of Waverly's own honey brown hair behind her ear as she placed her most prized possession atop Waverly's head. "To protect them beautiful eyes from the sun. If you go blind, how will you appreciate my staggering good looks?" she laughed, dimples popping as a tooth achingly sweet smile adorned her lips. The wink that followed, nearly sent Waverly to her knees. 

It was in that moment, Waverly knew this feeling was different than anything she had ever experienced. Her young fifteen year old heart just about beat right out of her chest. Her thoughts clouded, and all she could think about was holding this girl close and never letting go. So she did just that and hugged her tight as her skinny little arms allowed. Stetson tipping back and falling to the dewy grass, she buried her face as deep as she could into the taller girl's chest. She inhaled deeply, taking in the aromas of freshly cut grass and sweat, tinged with the addicting vanilla undertones she could never get enough of. And although she may not have known it at the time, Waverly Earp was definitely, most certainly, one hundred percent, unequivocally in love with Nicole Rayleigh Haught.

  
  


"Waves, what kind of snacks did you bring today? Anything good or just chips and candy for Wynonna?" Jeremy's question interrupted her daydreaming.

"What, uh yeah, of course. I packed those veggie chips you like and some trail mix too. There's also a couple apples and some grapes in the ice box. Oh and our sandwich stuff for lunch."

Wynonna had been mostly placated by her breakfast whiskey and pancakes, keeping her snarky comments and quips at Jeremy to herself. At the mention of their healthy snacks though, she finally broke, letting out the loudest and most obnoxious groan Waverly may have ever heard. "Uggghhh! Really? You nerds really had to bring that healthy shit? Couldn't you have brought like some garbage snacks or something. It's like you're trying to ruin my vibes with your healthy life bull shit."

Eyebrows furrowing, Waverly shot back, "Oh shut up Wy. And what was that about your "vibes"? What are you 12? The only vibes you got going are messy and filled with bad decisions. Besides, don't even act like you don't like Veggie Sticks. I know for a fact you ate my entire bag the other day then hid it in the couch cushions hoping I wouldn't find it."

Wynonna gasped and recoiled slightly. "How dare you! If you're going to call me a mess at least put hot in front of it." She extenuated her point by winking and shooting finger guns at Waverly. "And yeah, I guess Veggie Sticks are alright when there are no other chips in the house. I can't believe you actually found the bag though. It was hidden so well."

With a scoff Waverly responded. "Seriously? Half the bag was sticking out and I heard it crumple when I sat down. If you were really trying to be sneaky about it you did an awful job."

Wynonna shrugged. "Eh, you can't be good at everything I suppose."

Shaking her head in response, Waverly pulled into a parking spot along the river entrance. As Waverly and Jeremy unloaded the jeep, and finished inflating the remaining tubes, Wynonna coaxed some random dudes into carrying their heavy ice chest to the water and placing it into the raft specifically for that, their snacks, and anything else they were trying to keep dry and floating. The two guys were definitely not Wynonna's type and when they asked if they wanted to float down with them she quickly shut them down. "No can do Fabio. Girls only today. No boys allowed." 

The taller Fabio looking one gave her an incredulous look tilting his head towards Jeremy. "What about him then?"

"Who Jeremy? Waves insisted he come and he offered to be our DD. Besides, he's queer as a deer and isn't trying to get into either of our pants so doesn't really count." Defeated the two guys shrugged and walked away.

"Wynonna! Seriously?" Waverly had snuck up behind them and caught just the tail end of the conversation. "Queer as a deer? Who even says that! Apologize to Jeremy this instant!" Waverly huffed, her high pitched tone scratching Wynonna's ears. One hand on her hip the other pointing aggressively at Jeremy, Wynonna cringed, sure actual daggers were about to shoot from Waverly's eyes.

Breaking the tension, Jeremy finally spoke up, laughter spilling from his voice "Waves it's fine seriously. That was probably the best joke I've heard in months and besides that, she's not wrong. I am queer as a a 3 dollar bill. We should be calling this a gays only trip instead of girls only am I right." Jeremy's gasped and grimaced. "Oh shitcrumbs, I'm so sorry Waves, I totally didn't mean to out you to Wynonna. I know you've been trying to tell her for the past couple weeks but still. I don't even know what I would be feeling if someone had outed me before I was ready. Oh jeez, just shut up Jeremy. I'm just digging myself deeper at this point aren't I?" 

"Yeah Jer Bear just shut up. How dare you spill Waves' deep dark gay secrets without her consent." Wynonna started cackling at Jeremy's confused and quite frankly mortified appearance. 

"Jer, stop panicking. I told her this morning. It was definitely unintentional though. It kind of just slipped out." 

"That's what she said." Wynonna quipped, still trying to stifle a laugh.

Done with the conversation and starting to overheat and boil over with annoyance, Waverly spun the topic so fast Wynonna and Jeremy just about got whiplash. "Can we please just get in the river? It's hotter than the devils asshole out here."

A scandalized gasp flew from Wynonna's mouth. "Language Baby Girl! We can't have that dirty mouth of yours polluting our innocent virgin ears."

Defeated, Waverly sighed. "Please just get in the river Wy. We're wasting daylight."

They had been floating at least a few hours now, Wynonna 4 beers and 3 shots in, was already snoozing comfortably in her tube. Waverly was trying to pace herself, knowing the entire trip usually took around 6 hours not counting the hour or so they would spend stopped at the halfway point eating a small lunch topped off with a couple more drinks. 

She chatted with Jeremy about the upcoming school year. He had been teaching chemistry at the high school the past few years and her newly acquired position as Purgatory Highs history teacher was the main reason they decided to move back home in the first place. 

Having spent nearly her entire life in school, she was taking a year off before deciding whether she would apply for a PhD program. Though, Waverly wasn't certain that was what she actually wanted anymore. As a kid, she had always imagined obtaining the highest level in her academic career but now, nearing her 25th birthday, she wondered if it was worth the time and more accurately the money. And while her uncle Curtis had paid for what her scholarships didn't cover for her bachelor and masters degrees, he had since passed and she would likely have to take out loans if she wanted to continue. She figured the year of teaching would help her not only decide what she wanted, but also allow her to get a bit of savings going in the meantime. 

It was nearing noon and they were nearing the midway point of their trip. "Hey Waves, how much longer till we reach the midway point? I'm getting kind of hungry." Jeremy asked 

"Mhmm" Wynonna grumbled from behind her aviators and baseball hat. "Yeah Waves I'm ready for some of your primo sandwiches."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah guys, chill out we should be there in like 30 minutes, and hour tops."

"What do you mean 30 minutes to an hour? How do you not know? Aren't you the river expert? Haven't you had this trip planned out since the day we moved back home?" Wynonna complained. 

Waverly's attention was elsewhere though and she barely heard anything coming from Wynonna's mouth. Her eyes caught on an old, worn to hell Stetson hanging from a low stooping branch near the edge of the river a ways ahead of them. Wynonna's voice faded into the background as Waverly's brain once again conjured up images of red hair, pale skin and brown eyes. "Nicole" she whispered under her breath. 

"Like I was saying Baby Girl, as the river expert here you should not have-"

"Nonna shut up! None of that even matters! Now help me paddle over there to that branch with the hat stuck on it before we float right past." Waverly nearly shouted, cutting Wynonna off mid sentence. 

"Jeez Waves, fine ya didn't have to bite my head off about it." Wynonna pouted, slightly taken back by Waverly's outburst. "Why do you want that old crusty thing anyways? It looks like it is probably older than you are." She questioned. 

"I just need to check something real quick. It's probably nothing, I just need to be sure. And it's not crusty, it's just well loved is all." Waverly huffed as they made their way to the old hat. She quickly realized they definitely weren't going to get there before they passed right by it. "I'll be right back. Or I'll catch up to you guys I'm not sure yet." In a slight panic Waverly abandoned her tube and instead started swimming to her destination. 

"Wait Waves! What are you doing?" Jeremy cried out as they continued floating downstream without her.

"Huh" Wynonna sighed. "Ballsy lil' thing ain't she?"

"It's fine Jer, it should get pretty shallow a little ways downstream. Just walk the tubes to the shore and wait for me. I should be right behind you." She shouted back.

"Seriously Waverly!" He yelled as they started to separate. 

"Shut up nerd and cool your boots. Waverly is fine. We were basically raised in these waters. If she says she's good, then she's good. She's probably more concerned about the creepy randos that will try and "help" her out than she is of drowning." Wynonna laughed as their voices failed further down the river. 

The swim towards the bank where the hat was caught was relatively easy. The current carried Waverly most of the way, only having to swim a bit on her own to get there. Once she reached the branch though, she realized it wasn't as low hanging as she originally thought, her short arms not quite reaching high enough up to reach the Stetson. Ever the problem solver though, she grabbed hold of some of the branches she could reach and began pulling herself up and out with nothing but upper body strength until she could reach up and grab it. She dropped it on her head and it felt like coming home. Soft hints of sweat and vanilla taking her back in a rush of melancholy, to that last summer on the homestead before Nicole went away forever. She gently plopped back into the warm water and made the short tread to shore sitting down with a sigh. Remembering the one thing that would confirm it was indeed  _ that  _ hat, she flipped it over, scanning the inside band. "Holy shit." She whispered to herself as she traced the initials "NRH" engraved into the soft leather of the inside band with her fingers. In all, it looked about the same as it did all those years ago except for the addition of the rainbow band wrapped across the crown. "There's no way she just left this here. Nicole would literally die if she ever lost this so what the shit is it doing in a darn tree?" She thought aloud. Waverly put the hat back atop her head and stood up, preparing to swim down to where Wynonna and Jeremy should be waiting for her.

Before she could take another step though, a voice she had long since forgotten plowed through her heart like a freight train. 

"Waverly?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to 2002 when Nicole and Waverly first meet. Nicole's pov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still doing my best. Here's chapter 3. Nicole's lil country ass meets the earp girls. No beta so if I F up that's on me.

Nicole: November-December 2002 8yrs

"Nicole. Sweetie, it's time to get up. It's already 9:30, your appointment is in an hour and a half. If you don't start getting ready now we're going to be late." Nicole's mom softly knocked on her bedroom door before coming in and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Nicole was already awake though, and had been for the last few hours. She just lay there, thick duvet up to her nose as she stared absently at the wall. It had been a little under a month since the accident and she was decidedly having difficulty coping. She hardly slept and when she did her dreams were consistently wrecked with flashbacks of that night. It was quite frankly a lot for an eight year old to deal with.

"No, I ain't going. I'm stayin' right here. Ya gonna have to drag me out kickin' and screamin’." The little ginger grumbled from under her comforter, her country accent breaking through. 

"Oh come on Nicky, you do this every time. Please just get up, therapy is important for your recovery. I know you're not sleeping well and still having them darn night terrors." Kelly Haught said, stroking back her daughter’s fiery red hair. Her father's hair, one of the many features she had inherited from him.

"No! I hate it and it don't even work! Like ya said, I'm still havin' nightmares! And Doctor Fletcher smells funny, like dirty flowers or somethin'. Why are ya doing this to me, haven' I suffered enough already?” The tiny body under the blanket pile cried as she pulled her duvet tighter around her.

“I know you’re struggling right now Bug but you need to keep at it. You’re going to need time to heal and Doctor Fletcher can help you process some of the emotions you’re dealing with. Come on Nicky please just get dressed.” Nicole let out a sad pathetic whine. Kelly, in a last ditch effort, resorted to bribery. “Huh, I guess you won’t be getting any of your favorite banana pancakes then.” 

The mention of banana pancakes piqued Nicole’s interest. She poked her head out from her blanket fortress with eyebrows raised and asked. “Can ya put whipped cream on 'em?”

“Yes of course Hun. Now I’m going to make you a plate and if you’re not down in the next 15 minutes, I’m going to drag you out of this room by your toes.” Kelly pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, got up and made for the doorway. “You hear me little girl?” she questioned before she continued into the kitchen.

“Yeah, Ma, I hear ya jeez. I’m gettin’ up kay.” She sighed and extracted herself from the safety of her bed. Not one to care about appearances, she dressed in an oversized sweater, some loose fitting jeans and her old boots. She was definitely not going to win any fashion awards but at least she was dressed and warm. If the game was comfort over style she was definitely winning. Plus the large sweaters were about the only thing that would fit over the turquoise cast on her left forearm right now. 

Before heading to the kitchen she grabbed the Stetson off her nightstand and set it atop her head over a snug beanie. It was still too big and wiggled on her head when she moved but she hadn’t gone anywhere without it since the accident. 

Even at his funeral in her stupid black velvet dress, she had it on. Her mom tried to stop her but Nicole went into a full blown panic attack or tantrum as she put it at the time. “I’ll suffer through this stupid itchy dress, an’ these stupid stiff shoes, an’ even this stupid curly hairdo ya gave me but I ain’t leaving this darn house without his hat! He would want me to wear it! It was important to him!” Nicole screamed near the point of hyperventilation as snot flew from her nose. Her pale face was now red and angry, streaked with tears as she huffed and puffed.

“Fine Nicole whatever. Just please don’t cause a scene with this behavior when we get to the church.” She sighed in defeat.

Nicole didn’t say another word for the rest of the day. She simply nodded yes or no to any questions directed towards her. Occasionally she’d throw in a grunt to spice things up. Mostly though, she stared at the wall like it held the secrets to the universe. She didn’t know nothin’ about anything so maybe it actually did. Seemed more plausible than believing there was a magic sky man taking care of her dad now, that just seemed silly. Like some kind of bedtime story adults tell their kids so they’re not afraid of dying. She was never really afraid of dying though, only the destruction it left in its wake. Being left behind to deal with the loss was the real kicker in all of this. She would have rather she died that day, it would have been easier than dealing with the stifling sadness she was feeling now. Everyone said it would get easier with time. Nicole wasn’t too sure about that but all she could really do was hope they were right.

They drove the thirty minute trip to Dr. Fletcher’s office in relative silence. Nicole didn’t say much these days. Lost in her thoughts, she just stared out the window. She still hated riding in vehicles, every second laced with concern that someone else would be taken from her. Zoning out was about all she could do to stay calm, so she just stared, focusing first on the trees, then the clouds then, just the infiniteness of the sky that surrounded her.

“Nicole… hey Kiddo we’re here.” Reaching into the backseat, Kelly placed a soothing hand on Nicole’s knee to bring her from her daze.

Nicole flitched at not only the touch but her words as well. Kiddo, the last name her dad called her before everything went to shit. The name he used to give her praise and validation. The term of endearment that even prior to the accident held a special place in her heart. She didn’t want anyone taking that from her. Not even her mom. “I told ya not to call me that no more, Ma. Ya can call me any of ya other dumb nicknames just not that.” She said. The car door flew open and Nicole ran inside faster than her mom could even respond.

Unfortunately for Nicole, Dr. Fletcher had recommended she start attending a children's grief support group as well as continuing her sessions in office into the foreseeable future. She wasn’t progressing well enough and the doctor thought she would benefit from talking to some kids in similar situations. Nicole thought it was all a load of poo but her mom promised her hot chocolate and donuts after her biweekly sessions so Nicole figured she could suffer through. “It weren't like she did much else at this point.

Just like that Nicole was scheduled for the eight to ten year old youth group every Tuesday and Friday after school. Every session her mom practically dragged her by her bootstraps. Actually getting Nicole to attend was still a task all on its own, even after being at it a few weeks they were still struggling. Kelly was growing concerned that nothing was getting through to her and that they were missing their window to make sure Nicole developed healthy coping methods. Nicole seemed to grow quieter and angrier every day. She had been in multiple fights since returning to school in the past couple weeks, not including the time she threw a textbook at her math teacher's head because he yelled at her for not paying attention. It wasn’t her fault math was horrible and she was just a little dumb at it. Even with one broken arm she managed to break one boy’s nose and gave another two black eyes. They had made a comment about her dad and she lost it. She also pushed a girl down in the hallway when she asked how she was doing. Nicole did actually feel bad about that one and tried to apologize but ended up getting the cold shoulder. She couldn’t really blame her, she was a little scary these days. She was even starting to scare herself a bit, her behavior growing more erratic by the day, she felt like she was losing control.

She drug herself into group, for the fourth time to the sight of a tiny brown haired girl occupying her normal seat, head down, wringing her hands, and swinging her feet nervously. It had her feeling some sort of way but she couldn’t really pinpoint if the emotion was anger or amusement. Maybe curiosity? Nicole squinted her eyes and stared her down from the entryway. Their eyes met and Nicole swore she was looking at an angel. Her gaze hardened briefly, taken back by the gentle nervousness that reflected in those hazel eyes. Anxiety radiated off her, thick and heavy and in that moment Nicole decided she most definitely didn’t want to fight the small bean but instead needed to befriend her at any cost. Not wanting to spook her, she tried to shake some of the anger and sadness off herself before she engaged. Recently, it seemed harder and harder to be the happy care free kid she once was. There was really something about this girl though. Like two opposing magnets they were drawn together in an irresistible force, and Nicole couldn’t stay away. So she plastered her biggest, fakest smile on her face and greeted Waverly Earp for the first time.

“Heya Lil' Bean, ya seem to be in my seat.” Nicole said in what she assumed was her friendliest tone. She wasn’t quite sure any more, it seemed like an eternity since she used that voice. Despite her best efforts though, it appeared that it was not as friendly as she intended and about the only thing she succeeded in doing was making the kid break down in tears. “Well shit…” One of the only curse words Nicole knew slipped from her mouth. She knelt down so she was eye level with the girl. "I gone done it now ain’t I? I'm real sorry. I really didn't mean to scare ya, kid. I can be kinda a lot right now but I was just tryna say hi. I know this place can be a little overwhelming especially if ya going at it alone. Listen, ya can have my seat I don't even care. It gets kinda stuffy right there anyway. Not that it's not a nice spot or nothing. Ya can kind of hide out a bit so that's good." She rambled. Embarrassed and feeling like she just made a fool of herself, Nicole stood to walk away. "Oh jeez I'm sorry.” she said rubbing the back of her neck. “I'm actually pretty cool, well I used to be... I'm not real sure I'm much of anythin’ right now. I'm tryin’ though. To be good again I guess.” She sighed. “Jus’, jus’ please let me know if I can help ya out or anythin’…” The hazel eyed girl had since stopped crying. She looked up at Nicole in a daze, mouth open, with a hint of confusion hiding behind those beautiful teary eyes. “I... I guess… I guess I'll jus’ leave ya to it then.” She slumped her shoulders and started towards the chair furthest from where she currently was.

“Wait! Don’t go!” A high pitched voice squeaked out. The brunette stood and reached out to grab Nicole’s hoodie sleeve, gaining her attention. “I… I’m the one who should be sorry. I freaked out when you were just trying to be nice.” Sleeve still in hand, she looked up at Nicole through her long eyelashes. With one look Nicole knew was putty in her hand, now and likely forever. “I’m Waverly, Waverly Earp.” She smiled softly as she held out her hand for Nicole to shake.

A genuine smile creeped its way onto Nicole’s face. It was probably the first real one she’d shown in the month or so since her dad passed. “Well Waverly Waverly Earp, I’m Nicole, Nicole Rayleigh Haught.” They connected their hands in about as firm a handshake as two little girls could muster. “It’s real nice to meet ya kid.” Hands still connected, brown eyes stared into hazle just a couple seconds longer.

“Uh Nicole, you can have your seat back if you want. I’m sorry I took it. I hope you’re not too mad.” Waverly said so quietly she nearly whispered.

“Psh, it’s water off a duck’s back Waves. One look at ya cute face and I weren’t even mad no more.” She shrugged off the apology with ease, noticing a light blush creeping up Waverly’s cheeks.

“Nicole, I’m not real sure what you’re talking about with a duck and all that but I think it’d be pretty neat if we sat together. You do seem sort of cool I guess.” She said though a slight smirk.

“Hey, I am cool. I’ve jus’ been havin’ a rough time a’ight. And the fact that ya in here means the same for you. So spill, who was it. Grandparent? Mom? Dad?” Waverly tensed at the last one. “Dad then? Me too. ‘Bout a month ago. Car crash. Hit by a drunk driver on our way home from my basketball practice. He got dead and all I got was this nasty scar, a broken arm and a souvenir cowboy hat. It’s kinda a butt lot if ya ask me. Anyways my ma has been making me do therapy since I was released from the hospital and I had to start coming here a couple weeks ago. Says it ain’t normal that I’m so angry and sad all the time. Thinks talking with some kids that have also gone through the ropes will help me “process” better or somethin’. I don’t know ‘bout all that though, I think I’m pretty normal considering everything. I think it’d be more weird if I were good already.” She ranted. She had already told the story so many times it had become almost second nature. Meet a person, tell her tragic backstory to get it out of the way then never mention it again. Unless she was in therapy or group, then she was forced to talk about all that stuff. Maybe it was helping. It seemed like every time she told the story it got a little easier.

Waverly seemed a bit in shock at the sudden confession. She wasn’t expecting Nicole to spill her guts that quickly. “Wow Nicole, that is a lot. My daddy died last month too. Crashed his truck one night. He was a mean jerk but was still my daddy so I’m feeling all sorts of mixed up recently. My mama brought me and my big sisters here so we could “work through our issues” in our own way. I think it was actually an excuse for her to run around with her new boyfriend though. I guess she might be kind of a jerk too. Wynonna and Willa are in the older kids group and I’m in here since I’m only just turned eight.” Waverly told her.

“Hey I’m eight too but I’ll be nine next month. It sounds like we’ve both had a time of it, don’t it. We’re two peas in a sad ol’ pod ain’t we?” Nicole gave a weak smile and raised an eyebrow to Waverly in a question.

“Nicole I still have no idea what you mean but friends? Will you sit with me from now on?” Waverly pleaded. “You kind of make me feel safe.”

“Yeah Waves, whatever ya want. I got ya.” Nicole smiled and her dimples made an appearance for the first time since she lost her dad. She actually felt happy around this kid. Normal even. She made her forget even if just for a few minutes that tragedy her life had been the past few weeks.

The group session went well, all the kids sat around and shared how they were doing since the last session. Since Waverly was new, she had to tell her story, which Nicole found awfully similar to her own. Quite honestly, she was a little too mesmerized by the brunette to really pay too much attention to anything else and before she knew it they were being dismissed. 

"Alright then, my ma is waiting for me in the car. I guess I'll see ya in a few days then right?" Nicole questioned as they walked to the exit.

"Yeah I'll be here.. I'm supposed to wait in here until my sisters finish and can take me home. I'll see you later Nicole." Waverly gave her a weak smile and wave as she walked out the door to her mom's car.  
“Until next time, Waverly Waverly Earp.” Nicole winked then turned and waved before she walked through the doors and out into the already way too cold Purgatory winter.

It was early December now, a few weeks had past and the girls were both getting fairly comfortable around each other. Most of their awkward discussions had faded and they started talking instead about their interests and hobbies. Waverly liked reading and art, Nicole also liked reading but swapped to novels with comics. She also loved building and fixing things, though sometimes it was more like totally dismantling something without having the skill to actually reassemble it. That always made her Ma real mad, but sometimes life just doesn't give you the skills you need when you need them and it takes a few hiccups before you succeed. She was still just a kid after all. 

Even though Waverly was about a year younger than Nicole she was whip smart and Nicole was really starting to like spending time with her. Every time they said their goodbyes after group, Nicole felt a little sad, like a piece of herself left with Waverly. Any part of herself she gave to Waverly willingly or otherwise was a gift she was sure she'd never get back.

"Hey Waves? Ya wanna get hot chocolate and donuts on your way home? Ma usually takes me after sessions." Nicole asked, antsy to spend as much time as possible with her new friend. They realized in the previous weeks that they both attended the same school. Nicole being a third grader and Waverly only in second they were on different schedules and had only been able to hang out during group. 

"Um… I don't know, Nicole. My sisters are supposed to take me home after we're done here. I don't want to get in trouble." Waverly hesitated.

"How 'bout ya invite them. They should be done soon too right? Then we can drive ya home after. Where do ya live? It can't be too far if you're walkin’. Or are you ridin’ your bikes? I guess it don't really matter much does it?"

"We're riding bikes… well they're on bikes, I ride on the Wynonna's handlebars since I don’t have one of my own yet. It's not my favorite thing and kinda hurts my butt cause it's about an hour long ride. I'll be okay though, I'm used to it by now." She sighed

"Waverly! Ya just told me ya ride on your sisters handlebars for at least an hour, in the freaking snow, all by yourselves just to get home! That's nuts! It's like -6c out there! Ya’ll gonna freeze ya boots off! At least let us take ya home we can even skip hot chocolate if you hate it that much. Besides, Ma will be happy to hear I made a new friend."

"Are you sure Nic? I don't want to make her mad." Nicole blushed a bit at the new nickname. No one had ever called her that before. If people shortened her name it was always Nicky, never Nic. She quite liked the latter though. It seemed tougher, not as girlie, maybe a little more fitting for her.

She smiled treading carefully. "She'll be good Waves. Like I said she'll be glad I'm making friends. I kinda lost most of my old ones."

“Really? That sucks. They were probably jerks anyway huh?" Waverly reasoned sending her a weak smile

"Nah. They weren't the jerks, I was. They don't really get what we're going through and said some dumb things so I might have punched a few of them in the face a few times. I'm tryna be better though. Haven't hit no one in a few weeks so that's good. So whatcha say? Ya gonna let us take you guys home or what?" Eyebrows raised, Nicole asked, hope spilling from her voice.

Waverly gave her that same look, eyes hidden under long lashes as she did when they first met and spoke. "Well ok as long as Wy and Willa don't mind. And I don't hate hot chocolate! Who hates hot chocolate? It's the best winter time beverage hands down."

Nicole smiled. “Well a’ight then. Ima go let Ma know then. Meet you guys back here in a few.” And with that she was running out the door to tell her mom the plan.

Nicole was right about her mom not minding the extra company. She was genuinely just happy that Nicole was not so depressed, seemingly since she met the mysterious Waverly. When Nicole told her that they’d been riding their bikes an hour home after every session she all but insisted they drive them home from now on. “There is absolutely no reason why 3 children should be riding their bikes an hour home let alone in these weather conditions. What kind of parents would let their kids do that?”

“Well, probably the kind with a dead husband and a new boyfriend and no time to be too concerned with what their rascal kids are up too…” Nicole sighed, feeling sad for Waverly all over again. At least her mom was trying. Nicole wasn’t even sure the sister’s mom knew where they were most of the time. Her own mom was undeniably overbearing and a bit much but at least she was trying. “Thanks mom for lettin’ ‘em come. I haven’t met Wynonna and Willa yet but Waverly’s ‘bout the sweetest darn girl I ever did meet so I’m sure her sisters ain’t much different. They should be ‘bout done with the older kids group now so ima go let ‘em know.” 

Nicole returned to find Waverly talking to a dark haired girl maybe around thirteen or fourteen years old. That was probably Wynonna she assumed. Wasting no time she walked up to them and introduced herself. “Yo, how’s it going? You must be Wynonna huh? I’m Nicole, Nicole Haught, but I’m sure Waves probably already told you that. She’s ‘bout the smartest lil bean ever if ya ask me. Where’s Willa? She gonna come with us? My ma said she would get us all hot chocolate and donuts if you guys wanted.”

Wynonna smiled in amusement. “This one’s quite the talker isn’t she Baby Girl?”

“Usually only when she’s nervous, Nonna. Most of the time she’s quiet as a mouse. She doesn’t even talk in group unless they make her. I forget she’s even there sometimes.” Waverly laughed.

“Hey, that’s not fair. I just don’t got much to say is all. Everyone already knows all about me. I’m still kinda sad and a little angry, not much change from when I first started comin’. What else is there to say?” Nicole reasoned.

“Can’t really argue with you there Red. With our good ol’ drunk daddy dead and mostly absent mom I feel you. I think the lot of us are feeling pretty angry and sad lately too. Sometimes life is just a swift kick in the box." Wynonna said. "Anyway kid, enough with the angsty stuff, did I hear something about donuts or was that just a trick to get us into your murder van." 

Nicole looked Wynonna dead in the eye, the air around them thick with tension, in the most serious tone she could muster said. "It's more like a murder truck… I mean if ya wanna split hairs 'bout it." smirk gracing the corner of her mouth.

Wynonna's face went blank for a second before breaking into uncontrollable laughter. "Oh my God Waves, can we keep her? A real comedic genius this one is. What even is that hillbilly accent kid? Ya ain’t from 'round these parts are ya?" Wynonna mocked.

"Nah, I sure ain’t. We moved here in January for my dad's work. Came all the way from Texas. I thought we'd go back when my dad died but my ma said we don't need that negativity in our lives no more. She was born 'round here i guess. We ain't got no family out there no more anyway. My dad's parents are dead and my other grandparents live on a ranch in Arizona now." 

"Holy fucking shit kid you really have been through the ringer." Wynonna said, her jaw dropping to the floor.

"Language Wynonna!" Waverly screeched. "You know what Daddy would do if he heard you talking like that."

"Well Daddy ain't here no more Baby Girl, so he's not going to do shit. I'm going to go wrangle up Willa so we can go. She's basically been up that Bobo kid's ass since day one here."

Nicole watched in amusement as Wynonna interrupted Willa's sloppy attempt at flirting. A small argument broke out. Wynonna was flailing her arms around in frustration while whisper-yelling something Nicole couldn't make out.

"Fine Willa! Do whatever you want! I'm going with Waverly! Somebody's got to take care of her. God knows if Mama will even be home tonight. I hope you have fun with that grody asshole!" Wynonna shouted as she marched back to a wide eyed Nicole and a sheepish looking Waverly. "Come on nerds. Let's bounce." She grabbed Waverly's hand, dragged her towards the doors Nicole following closely behind. 

"You could stay with her if you wanted Nonna. Nicole already said they'd take me home." Waverly said despairingly. 

Wynonna stopped her stomping and turned to look down at Waverly. "The thing is, I really don't want to stay and hang out with her and that troll looking jerk. He really creeps me out anyway. I'd much rather be spending my Friday having some delicious and free drinks and eating way too many donuts with my favorite person and her weird new bff."The two sisters stared at each other for a moment in a silent understanding, a small smile creeping its way onto Waverly's face. 

"Hey I'm not weird. I'm cool as a feakin' cucumber, homeslice." Nicole shot them a wink and topped it off by shooting off a couple of finger guns. Waverly laughed and Nicole considered her mission there a success. 

“Alright, enough of all that little Redrum. Lead us to your murder truck. I need sustenance.” Wynonna said, continuing out the double doors and into the parking lot. 

Not having a darn clue about what Wynonna was referring to with the “Redrum” comment, Nicole and Waverly looked at each other and shrugged before following Wynonna outside. Wynonna threw her bike into the truck bed carelessly and held the passenger door open, gesturing the younger girls to get in. “There’s no way I’m sitting in the middle. You two losers figure it out.”

Nicole scooted in to sit next to her mom, Waverly sat next to her, their sides pressed closely together. Since there were only 3 seatbelts, Nicole loosened the middle one and wrapped it snuggly around her and Waverly’s waist. It probably wasn’t the safest thing ever but it was better than nothing Nicole thought. Nicole introduced Waverly and Wynonna to her mom. She was so distracted by Waverly, she didn’t even notice when she flinched at the sound of their last name. "Oh, Nicky didn't tell me you two were Earps." She hesitated a second before continuing. "I'm sure your past couple months have been about as rough as hers. I'm glad to see you've decided to join the grief group as well. Nicky can't seem to get your name out of her mouth little Waverly. I'm really glad you two have become friends."

"Yeah me too Mrs. Haught. She's pretty darn great." Waverly said smiling at Nicole.  
“Your other sister didn’t want to tag along? She going to be okay getting home by herself?” Kelly questioned.

“She’ll be fine. She’s getting a ride with her boyfriend or whatever. She’s too cool for us lamos now that she’s sixteen.” Wynonna answered plainly.

“Well her loss. She’s missing out on some grade A hot chocolate and donuts. If she ever wants to join the offer is always on the table though.” The older woman responded. 

Winter break was coming up soon so they discussed what their plans were. Waverly was pressed up against Nicole’s side, warmth exuding from the both of them as everyone made small talk. Nicole and her mom were heading to Arizona over Christmas and New Year to visit her grandparents but would be back just in time for Nicole’s birthday on the fifth. She hadn’t really thought too much about her birthday plans considering everything else in her life right now but when Waverly asked when her party was, she suddenly became very invested. The two Haught’s would fly back home on Friday the third and Kelly figured they could squeeze a small party in on Sunday before the girls headed back to school later that week. Although the party would likely consist only of present company, it was still the most excited she’d been in months. The four girls talked and laughed over the hot chocolate (coffee for Kelly and Wynonna) and donuts for about an hour prior to heading home. After they dropped off the sisters, Kelly’s energy seemingly took on a more serious tone. A few minutes before they arrived home she finally asked the question that had been on her mind since she first met the Earps. “So Nicky, exactly how much do you know about them girls and their situation?”

“Huh? Whatcha mean, Ma? Their daddy died about the same time as dad. He was meaner than a rabid dog according to Waves, so they ain’t exactly that beat up about it. I didn’t know they’d been biking home after group until today though. If I had I would have offered your services sooner. Waves don’t need to be riding bikes around in this weather. It’s too dang cold.”

“You’re one of the good ones Bug and you seem quite smitten with Waverly.” Kelly said as she pulled into their driveway. She put the car in park and turned to her daughter before finishing. “Nicole, I’m not even sure Waverly or Wynonna know this, but I think you deserve to know before you decide if you want to continue this friendship you’ve started with them.”

Nicole scrunched her face in concern. She really had no clue what her mom was so worried about. At this point she didn’t think there was anything she could tell her that would stop her from wanting to be Waverly’s friend. “Ma ya acting weird. Waves is awesome, why wouldn’t I want to keep being her friend.”

“Nicole, their daddy didn’t just die around the same time as Dad, he died at the same time.” She said sternly. 

Nicole looked like someone had just kicked her puppy and perhaps they had. Maybe she was actually the puppy. It sure as shit felt like she just took a kick to the gut. All the color drained from her face, she stuttered. “Wha- wha- what do ya, what do ya mean?”

Kelly softened a bit before she spoke. “Nicky, their daddy, Ward Earp, was the drunk driver that hit you two that night. He was an abusive alcoholic and damn near the entire town knew. Lord knows why he hadn’t been locked up before then. It’s a miracle that he’d never hurt anyone before that.”

“What? No… I… I can’t… I can't be here no more.” Without another word, Nicole pushed her way out of the truck and bolted into the woods behind their home, her mother’s loud protests ringing in her ears as she ran. She ran until her lungs burned and she could no longer hear her mom’s shouts. Her legs shook and her mind fogged as hot tears froze to her face in the below freezing temperatures. She didn’t know what to think or feel anymore. The only person she felt herself around, had come with baggage she wasn’t sure she could handle. So she ran until she couldn’t run anymore and she collapsed in the freezing snow.

Nicole woke to the familiar beeping of the hospital monitors. It felt sterile and cold as always. The faint smell of alcohol overloading her senses. She sat up and noticed a new cast on her arm. The old one must have gotten wet in the snow. “How long was I out there?” She whispered to herself. She frowned at the new bright pink cast. It was her mom’s favorite color, she must have picked it out while she was asleep. A fitting punishment she assumed.

“Nicole thank goodness you’re awake!” her mom fretted as soon as she realized her daughter was no longer sleeping. 

“Lay off Ma, I’m fine. Jus’ got a lil’ cold is all. Thanks for this though. Don’t ya think I’ve suffered enough?” She raised her cast in acknowledgment.

“I don’t want to hear it Nicky. That’s what happens when you run off and scare the living daylights out of me. You could have frozen to death, Bug. What were you even thinking?” Kelly said tears in her eyes.

Nicole looked down at her hands gathering her thoughts before she quietly spoke. “I’m sorry Ma. I ain’t mean to scare ya none. It was all jus’ too much and I felt like I couldn’t breath enough but I was breathing too much at the same time. I jus’ really like Waverly and I really don’t want her to stop being my friend.” She said as the tears started falling. Her mom gave her an empathetic smile as she scooped her into her arms and rocked her until she calmed down. She was still but a child after all. 

When her tears finally dried Kelly tried to speak some sense into her daughter. “Nicole, those girls aren’t defined by their daddy’s sins. And they really are nice girls even if Wynonna is a bit much. I really hope you can still be friends. You seem really good for each other.”

“I know Ma. I really hope so too.” Nicole croaked, as she fell back asleep in the comforting embrace of her mother’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come chill with me on Twitter @actuallysoftAF


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly catch up. Mayby a little fluffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written primarily in Nicole's pov but I added a bit of Waverly insight here and there.

Nicole: July 6th 2019

“Waverly? Waverly Earp i- is that really you?” Nicole stuttered out, wiping the previously fallen tears from her eyes. Her eyes were puffy and face red, this is not how she expected a reunion with her first love to go. A flood of emotions cemented her in place, rendering her incapable of doing much more than standing on the shore with her jaw practically in the dirt. The sight of Waverly was unexpected to say the least and seeing her standing there Stetson atop her head neon pink bikini hugging her curves like it was sculpted to her body had definitely thrown her for a loop. Nicole Haught had spent most of her formative years fixated on young Waverly, her straight best friend that didn’t want anything to do with her one she found out she was gay. After Nicole and her mom moved to Arizona to be with her grandparents and step-dad when she was sixteen, they had all but lost touch. Not that Nicole hadn’t wanted to reach out and reconcile in the years that followed, it just didn’t seem to be in her cards. During her last visit, prior to moving back home to Purgatory she had even ventured over to the Earp homestead to find it all but abandoned. Not a trace of the Earp girls to be seen.

“Nicole Fucking Haught? You gotta be fucking shitting me. It really is you isn’t it?” Waverly said in disbelief.

“As I live and breathe. I, the one and only Nicole Rayleigh Haught is at your service.” Nicole gave a mock salute before continuing. “Might I say, you’ve developed quite the little potty mouth since we last spoke Waverly Earp. What in god’s name are you doing here kid. Last I knew ya’ll had basically abandoned the homestead and moved away for good.” Nicole was still so in shock from the surprise reunion that she forgot why they lost contact in the first place.

“Yo- you stopped calling… and you started ignoring mine after a few months. I was worried something happened to you. What did happen anyway? You told me you’d always be there if I needed you, then one day you were just gone without a word. And you were too far away for me to even go look for you. What the hell Nicole!? You were my best friend and you abandoned me!” She shouted, a look of confusion and hurt reflected in her eyes, all but ignoring Nicole’s initial question. When Waverly first laid eyes on the old stetson she did not imagine all the emotions that would come rushing back to her when she reunited it with its owner. Now that Nicole was standing in front of her, all she could think about was how good it felt to be wrapped up and held in her arms all those years ago.

Nicole was confused to say the least. Waverly was the one who distanced herself first. The unanswered calls and messages never returned did not go unnoticed by the redhead. “Wa- Waves… I wanted to keep callin', I really did but you stopped answering and Willa and your mama told me to leave ya alone. Said you didn’t want to hang around a queer like me. I even got a letter apparently from you, callin' me some downright disgusting names. I don’t even know how they found out I was gay. I mean, I guess I've always seemed kind of gay thinkin' about it, but I wasn’t even out at that point. I did end up comin' out later that year though. I was already having a hard enough time with my mental health with the move and I couldn’t handle the fact that you might hate me for somethin’ I had no control over. I thought maybe I did somethin’ to you that made you uncomfortable and you didn’t want to talk to me no more. I was devastated. You were the best friend I’ve ever had and it destroyed me that I could have done somethin’ to you that made you feel that way.” Nicole said, holding back tears. 

Waverly stared into soft brown eyes, mouth open, trying to process the bomb Nicole dropped on her. It was true that Waverly didn’t answer her calls as often, she was extremely busy with her advanced placement classes along with cheer. The added stress of dating Champ Hardy didn’t help either. He seemed to take up more of her time then she initially figured when she agreed to the relationship. Finally her brain caught up to her mouth and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind and it was the one thing her brain seemed fixated on. “Wait, did you just say you’re gay?” Was apparently the appropriate response to the ginger's rant.

Nicole chuckled trying to hold back a grin. “Well duh Waves, look at me of course I’m fucking gay. I'm surprised you didn't notice when we were kids. I’m like a walking billboard for gay pride.” She said gesturing to herself making a pointed effort to show her her tattoos. “Hold up… did you not know? They told me you didn’t want me in your life cause I was in their words “an abomination.”” air quoting the last word for emphasis. 

Waverly just stood there mouth agape, eyes wide for a second before she answered. “Those freaking bitches! Nic, I swear to god I had no fudging idea.  _ And _ even if I did, I would never have wanted you out of my life for something like that! Love is love Nicole! You know Willa has always been an bitch and my mama wasn’t much better. I haven’t even spoken to either of them in years. Willa married that jerk Bobo and Mama ran off with her boyfriend a couple months after you left. She just left Wynonna and me to fend for ourselves. I ended up moving in with my aunt and uncle to finish my last couple years of high school while Wynonna traveled around doing god knows what. Had I any idea what they said to you all those years ago, I would have done everything in my power to set us straight… I guess not too straight though. Am I right?” she laughed trying to break some of the tension.

Was Waverly Earp flirting with her? Was she trying to tell her that she also wasn’t as straight as she once thought? At that Nicole let out a stifled laugh. Tears filled her eyes as the reality that all this time they’d lost together over the years was all for naught hit her hard. Unable to repress her emotions any further she rushed Waverly and pulled her into a firm embrace. “God I missed you Waverly Earp.” Nicole mumbled into her neck as she hugged her tighter, lifting the smaller girl’s feet from the ground.

Waverly squeaked in shock at the suddenness of the gesture before relaxing into her arms. She inhaled sunscreen and sweat with just a hint of vanilla and it felt like coming home. “And I missed you Nicole Haught. It’s been too long hasn’t it? We sure are a couple of dummies aren’t we?” She sighed into Nicole’s chest. “What the heck have you been up to? You kind of lost some of your accent over the years haven’t you?”

Nicole nodded, releasing Waverly from the hug but still leaving her hands firmly planted on her hips. When Waverly looked up through her eyelashes and gave her that same look she did all those years ago when they first met, she knew she was in trouble. Even after all these years, she still held the key to her heart and however unlikely it may be Nicole wondered if one day she could do the same for her. Waverly stared at her expectantly as she waited for an answer. Nicole was so lost in teary hazel eyes she didn’t realize she hadn’t replied yet. She didn't think it was possible but the brunette was more beautiful now than ever. Her tan skin glowing under the sun, and the crinkles around her eyes when she smiled made Nicole's heart leap. Dopey smile on her face, she finally plowed forward. “Yeah well a lot can change in a decade huh? The accent ain’t the only thing I’ve tightened up over the years” She flirted with a cocky self assured smirk. She was laying it on heavy but she couldn’t quite find it in herself to care. If Waverly found her advances too much she was going to have to say so. Over the past few months her new motto of assuming no one is straight until proven otherwise had been working out great and even led to some surprising and fun hook ups. She had been keeping things pretty casual with every one of them. Since she got together with Shae shortly after her 21st birthday she felt like she missed out on some of the adventures of her early 20’s. After they broke up she had been living a bit fast and loose trying to make up for some of the lost time. She figured the second Waverly gave her an indication she was not interested, she would back right off. She had matured a lot since Waverly last knew her. She exuded confidence, knew what she wanted and she most definitely didn’t want to wait another ten years to get it.

Waverly licked her lips as she cocked an eyebrow giving Nicole the once over. “Well not that much I guess. It seems like you are still the same cocky ass you were when we were kids. You look good though.” She said, squeezing her bicep and stepping back from Nicole’s embrace to fully appreciate the sight before her. Nicole was all long limbs and lean muscles. She looked strong and healthy, a stark contrast to her lanky and slightly awkward high school self. Not that she wasn’t attractive then, but this look was mature and confident and was really, really doing something for her. “Really good Nic. Whatever you’re doing is working for you.”

“Alas, I am but a single raindrop in the hurricane that is your beauty, Waverly Earp.” Nicole quipped, laying on her signature Haught charm.

“Wow we’ve been reunited all of five minutes and you’ve already turned the charm up to 1000. Cool your jets Romeo.” Waverly laughed, a light blush flushing her cheeks. “But seriously Nic what happened over these past few years. When did you get back in town? How long are you staying? Did you just come to the river alone? And why was your hat in this darn tree? I'm pretty sure you love this old thing more than life itself.” 

“Psh, who needs to cool their jets now kid?” Nicole said with a quizzical look.

“Shut up Nic. Quit teasing me. It’s just been so long I don’t even know where to start! And quit calling me kid! I am 24 years old and a fully grown adult lady!” Waverly huffed. 

“Are you sure you’re fully grown? I think you’re even smaller than when we last saw each other.” She snickered

“How dare you! I am very average sized! It’s not my fault you grew ten feet since you were sixteen!” Even through her serious tone she couldn’t help but smile at Nicole. That goofy energy still radiated off her and she was glad she hadn’t changed too much. “Seriously though Nic, what have you been up too?… I kinda maybe thought you were dead. You know it was kind of hard not to with the way you would talk about life sometimes.” She said, timidly swatting at her arm. 

“I know Waves... I’m real sorry ‘bout that. I never meant to scare you. I know I wasn't talking to you, but do you really think my mom wouldn’t have at least let you know if I’d actually off’d myself. You know 90 percent of my jokes were just my shit attempt at coping, very rarely did I mean any of it. Now, I’d say I’ve upped my numbers to about 99 percent jokes.” She laughed. Nicole truly understood where Waverly was coming from in her concerns. With the lingering PTSD, depression and anxiety throughout her childhood, it wasn’t a surprise that Waverly would’ve been concerned with self harm. And although she never engaged in it, with her constant self deprecating humor, it was difficult to discern the difference between her jokes and her reality. “I’ve been good though. Real good. I did lose some of my accent during my time in AZ I think. I came out that year we stopped talking and it was hard enough fittin’ in as the new queer Canadian with a Texas accent so I think I learned to reel it in a bit. Although, they really didn’t seem to mind the fact that I was a big ol’ lesbian out in Flagstaff, being a college town and all, they seemed really open minded about all that. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have come out until much later if we hadn’t made the move. My ex and I got together shortly after I turned 21 and had been living together in Calgary near her family for the past four years. I moved back here about 10 months ago after we broke up. Bought my old house back and built a huge workshop slash garage on the land so I’ll probably be sticking around well into the foreseeable future. I think I like it here too much to ever leave again. It’s peaceful and I can work in my shop without anyone complaining I ain’t doing life right. I got a pretty good following for my custom bikes, but I also work repair on bikes and sometimes restore classic cars too. Depends what I have time for. I also blacksmith a bit but that’s more of a hobby, I don’t really sell anything I make. Oh, I got X here too. He’s working at the fire department as Nedley’s right hand man these days.  _ And _ I kind of just info dumped on you… Sorry, somethings never change I guess.” Nicole laughed, nervous energy radiating off of her. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed Waverly in the years they spent apart, but being back together with her it was starting to feel like she’d never even left.

Waverly went on to tell her all about her past few years. Her last few years of high school, college in the city, she dated a few jerks and a couple really nice guys. Ended up in a long-term engagement to Perry Crofte throughout her college days. She broke it off last year when she realized even though she loved him, she wasn’t in love with him. She supposed she couldn’t really give her heart away when she probably never owned it in the first place. “I got hired at the school about a month ago. You are looking at Purgatory High’s brand spanking new, fresh out of school, history teacher. Wynonna and I moved back to the homestead when I got hired. I figured I’d take the year before I decide if I want to apply for a PhD program. It’s kind of a lot and I’m not sure if I can handle it right now.”

“Well shit Waves, I always knew you were ‘bout the smartest thing on two tiny adorable legs!” Nicole praised. “I’m sure whatever you decide it’ll work out. And with you stayin’ in town you’ll get the pleasure of seeing this stunning face on the reg.” She said smirk in place. 

After a few more minutes of catching up, Nicole realized they had been talking for damn near fifteen minutes. Surely Xavier and Wynonna were going to be getting nervous soon. It was about time they got a move on.

“Waves as much as I love this reunion, I think we best meet up with our respective siblings. Maybe we can tie up together and hang out the rest of the trip together, yeah? We got lots of booze and some of the most unhealthy snacks you’ll ever have the pleasure of putting in your mouth. I’ll even let you wear my hat, you know, to protect those beautiful eyes of yours.” Nicole said with a wink and a smirk, tipping the brim of the stetson down that still sat proudly atop Waverly's head. The words triggered memories of a past nearly forgotten, two teenagers enjoying their last few days together before the cruelty of the world was set to rip them apart. 

If Waverly wasn't already red from the heat, the blush that spread from her chest to the tips of her ears would have been more noticeable “Yeah Nic I think I’d really like that. But I think you need this a little more than I do.” Waverly said as she took off the hat she forgot she was wearing and placed it back on its rightful owner. “You’re looking a little more red than normal right now. Are you wearing enough sunscreen?”

“Waverly, I am a ginger floating down a river in July, 'course I’m gonna be red. And yeah  _ Mom _ I am wearing sunscreen, whether it's enough or not is yet to be determined. Maybe you can put some more on me later.” She laughed, arching an eyebrow and giving her a look that made Waverly’s knees weak. Maybe it was all in her head but the air felt thick like the static in the air right before a thunderstorm. Something was brewing between the former friends and she couldn’t wait to explore it further. “Now let's go find our hooligans. They're probably at least a little worried.” Nicole fixed the Stetson on her head and offered her hand. Waverly fingers slid into Nicole’s fitting together like a puzzle piece she thought was lost forever. Hand in hand, they got back into the deep river and waded down searching out their siblings.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly's pov. The kids talk some stuff out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished a chapter early so please accept this gift of an extra chapter this week. I changed some of the tags since I don't think its going to be as angsty or slow burny as I originally planned. Also I literally have no idea where I am going with this anymore so let me know if I start to get off track. I had an outline but my adhd got me bouncing all over the place. Maybe I should get back on my meds or something... oh well this is what you get today.

Waverly: End of December 2002 8yrs

Waverly hadn't heard from Nicole since they all went out after group last week. In the few weeks they had known each other, Nicole had not missed a single session. They were creeping into winter break and Waverly was starting to get concerned she wouldn't see Nicole before they left the country. When Nicole first approached her a few weeks ago, she wasn't quite sure what to think. She thought she seemed a little scary at first, black eye, cast with no signatures and that bright pink scar on her cheek that was barely starting to heal. Waverly was scared she was coming over to beat her up. Her anxiety through the roof, she was crying before Nicole even spoke a single word. “Heya Lil' Bean, you seem to be in ma seat.” Relief flooded her senses and she broke down in tears. The cool red head only wanted her seat back. She even seemed sweet about it really. Soft brown eyes bore into her soul as she tried to find the words to apologize. She was embarrassed and honestly a little confused that this super cool older kid was trying to make friends with her but hey at this point she'd take what she could get.

After the initial shock of the situation settled, the two became fast friends. Bonding over their eerily similar situations. Waverly raved all about Wynonna and how she looked after her when everyone else all but ignored her. It was tough being the youngest sibling, she got the tail end and hand-me downs of everything. She couldn't really complain though, she had a home to live and at least one person that loved her. If this Nicole kid really wanted to be friends with a scraggly little thing like her, she was in no position to decline. 

The day they went for hot chocolate and donuts was the best day of her short life and she couldn't wait to see Nicole again come Tuesday. But, when Tuesday rolled around and Nicole was nowhere to be found, Waverly was a little disheartened to say the least. By her second missed session on Friday, worry got the best of her and she ended up asking the counselor if she'd heard anything. Apparently she was sick as far as she was aware and was to be back next week for her last session before her trip. "Well I guess I'll just have to wait until next week" Waverly sighed to herself as she and Wynonna rode the uncomfortable trip back to the homestead by themselves since Willa stopped attending after the first few sessions. She could tell Wynonna knew something was up, she was sulking an unusual amount the past few days.

"Hey Baby Girl, what's up? You've been acting really weird and moppy ever since Haught Pants gave us a ride home the other day. If she hurt you, so help me God, her arm won't be the only thing that's broken." Wynonna growled.

"Nonna! Do not beat up my friend! She didn't do anything!" She scolded. "She's just missed the past couple sessions and… and I miss her is all…" she finished quietly, the last few words down to a whisper. 

"Ah do you have a crush on little Haught Pants? How cute." Wynonna teased 

"What! I do not have a crush on Nicole!" Waverly shouted, a little startled at how loudly she actually yelled. "I just think she's neat is all." As almost an afterthought she added, "Besides girls can't get crushes on other girls! That would be weird… right?"

"Baby Girl I can tell you with 100% certainty that no you are not right about that. And no it wouldn't be weird. Now, some people might not like it, but the world is changing and hopefully by the time you have kids of your own you won't have to explain why two girls or two boys liking one another doesn't matter a lick." Wynonna said with certainty. "I just want you to know I'll still love you no matter who you love. Got it Kid?"

"Yeah Nonna, I got it." She smiled. "I'll still love you too. As long as you're happy, I don't care either." Waverly affirmed storing away Wynonna's words for a later date. 

***

After a long and cold ride in the icy Purgatory winter, the two sisters pulled up to the homestead to find one Nicole Haught, in her cowboy hat and a fluffy coat, shivering on their front step. Before they even came to a full stop, Waverly was tumbling down.  
"Nicole! You're here?!" She screamed as she ran the rest of the way and flung her petite frame into Nicole's waiting arms. She tackled her with such force that Nicole's butt hit the snow in an attempt to catch her.

"Hey what am I, chopped liver? You just ditch your favorite sister as soon as your new bff shows up?" Wynonna complained. "You two do that I'm going inside before I freeze my balls off. Also I need snacks." She said as she made her way into the house. 

Waverly pointedly ignored her and nuzzled deeper into Nicole's chest, getting her first whiff of that addicting vanilla scent.

"Heya Lil' Bean, I missed ya. Sorry I was MIA this week… I was kinda dealin' with some stuff." Nicole said, her voice muffled by Waverly's hair.

"I missed you too, Nic. I was worried, I thought something happened. Oh! You got a new cast. What happened?" She asked, voice laced with concern. 

"Yeah, it jus’ got a lil wet is all. I'll tell ya e’rything but can we go inside first? I'm kinda freezin' my britches off out here. I still ain't used to this type of cold." Nicole asked as she pushed some of Waverly's hair behind her ear.

Realizing they were sitting in the snow, Waverly jumped off of her place in Nicole's lap faster than a bat out of hell. "Oh yeah, sorry you're probably freezing huh? And now I got you all wet. Wait… isn't Willa home? Why didn't she let you in? Did she know you were here?"

"Uh… yeah… she uh told me to wait out here when I knocked. Didn't want no mongerol kid running around in her house or somethin'. I weren't even gonna do nothing, jus’ sit and wait for ya. She said if I really wanted to talk I would wait in the cold. Not to sound mean but she's kinda a jerk Waves. Is she like that with e’ryone or jus’ me?"

"No she's just a mean ol grouch. I'm glad you waited though. I really did miss you. Now let's get you inside and warmed up. I think Wynonna has some old clothes you can borrow so you're not sitting in wet pants. My stuff probably won't fit you." Waverly took her not broken hand and led her inside. 

After some mild bribery of more donuts and a ride home after their next group, (which Nicole was already planning on doing) Wynonna begrudgingly handed over an old pair of sweats. They were a little big but a few rolls of the legs and sleeves and she was set. “So Kid what brings you to our neck of the woods? I thought you were sick or some shit. You had Waves here all up in arms.” Wynonna mumbled between bites of her Hot Pocket as she joined the younger girls at the kitchen table.

“Well, I rea-” Nicole started before getting very rudely interrupted by Willa.

“Ew, the little ginger is here. I thought I told you to go home. We don’t want you here.” Willa huffed.

“Willa!” Waverly screeched

Though she hadn’t known Willa long, she was still taken back by her comment. “Uh, I- I mean, I think ya just told me I had to wait outside if I wanted to see Waverly… I can leave though. I don’t wanna be somewhere I ain’t welcome. I guess I’ll just talk to ya a group Waves.” Nicole said as she stood up to leave.

Wynonna stood and placed a firm hand on Nicole’s shoulder, pushing her back into her seat. “You better sit your little ass right back down Haught Pocket. I want you here and Waverly sure as shit wants you here too. If Willa is going to be a bitch she can just fuck right off.” Wynonna assured her. “Also did you hear what I did there? Haught Pocket, get it cause I’m eating a Hot Pocket.” She snickered

Waverly started to push into Nicole’s side to prevent her from leaving as well. She hated when her sisters fought as it always ended in Willa coming for her throat and the younger Wynonna doing everything she could to defend her. When her daddy was still around, he and Willa would gang up on her so badly, Wynonna would have to take her out of the house just to keep her safe. Over the years, they’d spent one too many cold nights huddled up together in the barn waiting it out until they had calmed down. Having Nicole by her side felt safe and comforting. Not knowing how quickly or badly this was going to escalate she braced herself with a steading hand to her shoulder. 

“Do you two idiots not know who she is?!” Willa shouted. “Her daddy and her are the reason ours is 6 feet under in that shit hole cemetery on the outskirts of town!” Are you stupid or did you just care that little about the man that raised you!”

Waverly tensed as she felt Nicole cringe at the words. She was terrified and frozen and it was all she could do to continue standing. Did Nicole know? Was that why she was here? Was she coming to end their friendship now that she knew? All these thoughts ran through her eight year old brain faster than she could comprehend. 

“Willa, you best shut your dirty fucking mouth before I shut it for you!” The thirteen year old growled through gritted teeth. “This kid has been nothing but nice to us since we met and I swear to god if you say another word about it you’re going to be answering to my fists. Daddy ain’t here to protect you no more, Big Sis.”

Willa huffed in response. “You would take the side of this murd-”

And with that Wynonna was off her feet and tackling Willa in the blink of an eye. They rolled around yelling incomprehensible things while they took turns hitting each other in the face. Both Waverly and Nicole looked on at the sight in front of them, neither girl able to form a cohesive thought, let alone do anything about the all out brawl that had started in front of them. 

“Well shit… I wern’t expecting that.” Nicole deadpanned, her words knocking the younger girl from her daze.

“Oh fudgenuggets Nicole, help me separate them before someone gets really hurt!” Waverly screamed.

“Too late for that Baby Girl!” Wynonna shouted. She had Willa pinned to the floor as she grabbed her face and headbutted her hard. With a loud crack and thud, Willa collapsed into dead weight, knocked out cold. Standing, body still shaking with adrenaline, Wynonna made her way to the kitchen table and poured herself a shot of whiskey, taking it down with a grimace. “I was not expecting that this afternoon. It’s about time I put her in her place though. Hopefully she’ll leave us alone for a while now.” She said with a level of nonchalance that took the younger girls by surprise. After her shot and a small argument on what to do, the three of them drug a grumbling Willa upstairs and tossed her on her bed with a grunt.

“She going to be okay, Nonna? She was pretty loopy.” questioned Waverly on their way back downstairs.

“She’ll be fine. Did you not hear her grunting when we rolled her in there?” Now come on I need another drink and possibly some medical attention if I’m going to do anything else tonight, which I’m not but still.” Before Wynonna let Waverly fuss over her back at the kitchen table, she poured herself another shot and downed it in one go.

“Ain’t ya a little young to be drinkin' Wy? Ain’t ya mama gonna get mad when she finds out?” Nicole asked, sitting down on the empty chair next to Wynonna and Waverly. 

Wynonna snorted at the accusation that her mama would even notice, considering she hadn’t even been home the past couple days. “That woman don’t care about anyone but herself, Haught Tamale. Besides I'm an Earp, I was born with a bottle of whiskey in my hand. Now tell us, did that little convo we just had with our bitch sister have anything to do with why you’re he-? Ssss!” Wynonna hissed pulling her hand from Waverly's grip. “Jeez Baby Girl, take it easy. That stuff burns like a mother.”

“Sorry Nonna, I’ll try. You busted your knuckles up pretty good though.” Waverly had started to clean and bandage some of the small cuts on her knuckles and the larger one that formed on her forehead from the headbutt. Young as she was, Waverly had become a semi-pro at first aid administration. After all the years of cleaning up after Ward”s fury, she had Wynonna cleaned up in no time at all.

“Yeah, my ma told me after we went for hot chocolate and donuts. I had no idea before then. I kinda freaked out, ran into the woods an’ passed out from the cold or maybe a panic attack. I'm not real sure. I guess it was a bit before Ma found me cause when I woke up I was in a hospital bed for the second time in my life and she had picked out this nice new cast for me.” Nicole sighed before continuing. “An’ I thought ‘bout it a lot but I still want to be friends. If ya’ll want to that is. Like my ma said, “We ain’t our parents sins” It ain’t ya fault ya daddy made bad decisions.”

Waverly’s eyes watered at the confession. Nicole was kind and sweet and even though she had been through it the past couple months she still had it in her to open her heart to people that needed it. Waverly did need that kindness in her life and as much as Wynonna hated to admit it she did too.

Through watery eyes the older girl spoke. “Thanks kid, I mean it. You’re one of the good ones. I’m pretty beat though so I’m going to my room. You two rascals figure whatever this is out.” Wynonna patted Nicole’s shoulder and made her way upstairs to her own.

In her short eight years on earth Waverly Earp’s primary source of affection had been from Wynonna, and while she did her best she was still a child herself. Having Nicole so selflessly give a part of herself not only to her but also to her sister stirred something deep in her heart. This girl was going to be important to her, no matter what life threw at them, she would always feel like home. 

The two girls stood and stared at each other a moment longer before Waverly spoke softly. "I just wanna be your friend Nic. You are nice and funny and way cooler than me. I don't even care about that other stuff if you don't. Just please don’t leave" She pleaded

"I weren't planning on it. I mean ya kinda my bes' friend kid." Nicole admitted.

"Yeah you're kind of my best friend too." Waverly said with a warm smile.

Waverly was ecstatic, after everything was said and done, Nicole still wanted her in her life. Her heart fluttered at the thought of having her around into the foreseeable future. They cuddled up on the couch together, with a blanket and sat around watching old VHS movies until Nicole had to leave. Waverly would have her around day and night if she could but Nicole had a mom that cared and before they knew it, Kelly Haught was parked outside the homestead, honking the horn of the old truck to take Nicole home. Waverly walked her to the door but Nicole stopped short of leaving. She looked nervous, like she had something on her mind but couldn't quite get the courage to ask.

"Nic, what's up? You're acting weird." 

"I uh, I was thinkin' maybe, if ya wanted, it might be sorta cool if… if we had a sleepover. At my house. My ma knows yours ain't here too much so she won't let me stay here but I a'ready asked her and she said long as it was okay with whoever was in charge here she was fine with ya coming over. It's Friday and we don't got no school tomorrow so I figured maybe we could hang out and maybe go sleddin’ or somethin'. I ain't never been. The closest thing to snow I've even seen before this was that time it hailed the size of golf balls down in Texas and that weren't nothin’ you could play in. So what do ya say? I'll let you pick all the movies and we can make a blanket fort in my room so my ma will leave us alone. I have other fun stuff too, like Legos and comics, and RC cars, oh and a Nintendo. We can pl-" Nicole's nervous rambling was finally interrupted by a surprise hug from Waverly. 

When she pulled back, she was smiling from ear to ear, causing little wrinkles at the edges of her eyes. "Nic you're rambling again. Just cool your jets. Let me just ask Wynonna, she's the only one that'll worry" She ended with a laugh

"Uh… yeah… well I'm nervous. I never had no sleep overs before. I don't want you to say no…” Nicole sighed before Waverly’s words actually made it to her brain, “Oh wait you said yes! Sweet! I'll go tell Ma! I'll come right back to carry your overnight bag. Dad always said a gentleman always carries a ladies bag for her." Nicole huffed excitedly, nodding her head before she rushed out the front door and into the cold December evening not yet realizing the literal storm building in the sky.

When Waverly pranced upstairs to the room she shared with her sister to ask her permission for the sleepover, Wynonna readily agreed. “Of course you can go Waves. You’re honestly probably safer over there for tonight anyways. I’m not sure what kind of rampage our dearest sister will be on when she wakes.”

The words struck a deep uneasiness in Waverly and suddenly she was hard pressed to leave her sister in the lion’s den with Willa. “Are you sure, Nonna? She might wake up real mad. I can ask Nic if you can come too.” 

“Nope, I’ll be fine Baby Girl. I don’t think even Willa is dumb enough to go for round two right now. She needs some time to gather her pride and lick her wounds. You go have some fun with Haught Cheeto, alright. Just relax for once in your life.” 

Waverly hesitated for a moment before pulling Wynonna into a firm hug. "Okay. Just call if you need me though kay."

"Yeah for sure kid. Leave Haught's number on top the fridge, just in case." 

"You got it! Love you Nonna!" With a sloppy kiss to the cheek from Waverly, and a grumble from Wynonna, the sisters separated and Waverly swiftly went to work packing an overnight bag with some pajamas and her hand me down snowsuit for the following day's adventure. Nicole was eagerly waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs holding out her hand to take Waverly's backpack. Misunderstanding what she was asking, she took Nicole's hand in her own instead. It was soft and warm and fit together so perfectly with her own, she hadn't even noticed Nicole was practically frozen in place. Only when she took a step past her just about ripping Nicole's arm off in the process did she even realize she was no longer following her. "Oh shoot Nic, you okay?"

"Uh yep yeah all good. I… uh… I was gonna carry ya bag for ya. But now we're holdin' hands. I don't mind or nothin'. It's real nice an' ya hand is real soft. I just got a little confused is all." Nicole was blushing in her response, cheeks matching the red of her hair 

"Oh sorry! I didn't…" Embarrassment at her mistake flooded through Waverly and she was pulling her hand away like she was being burnt. 

Nicole's grip just tightened, refusing to release the brunette quite yet. "I think I can hold ya bag… and ya hand… if ya want. Ya know just so ya don't slip or nothin', it's kinda icy out there." She said eyes not meeting Waverly's, fixed instead on what appeared to be the most interesting set of stairs she'd ever seen in her life. She held out her casted arm and Waverly handed over her bag.

"You know you're a lady too, right Nic?" Waverly said as they made their way to the door making sure to leave a note with Nicole's phone number on top of the refrigerator as they went.

"Well darn, I s'ppose I am," Nicole laughed "but I'm still gonna carry ya bag."

Hand in hand the girls walked through the starting snow storm and into the safety of the old single cab truck. The normally 5 minute drive home turned into a ten minute trek. The blizzard that rolled in painted their surroundings in a thick blanket of white and made their traveling conditions downright dangerous. Nicole stared ahead, eyes vacant, breathing uneasy, noticeably on the verge of a full blown panic attack. Nicole's mom was quick to pick up the tell tale signs. "Nicky we're fine, we're almost home just breath. Remember the exercises Dr. Fletcher taught you? Can you count with me?" Her mom said, voice even, eyes still fixed on the road, while trying to get the attention of her imploding child. 

Nicole didn't respond though, just stared straight ahead, hyperventilation imminent, floodgates straining behind the weight of her emotions. She was free falling from 25000ft no parachute or lifeline to save her until a small warmth wrapped around her cold hand in a firm yet gentle hold. "Nic let's count together kay." Waverly cooed. Nicole held on tighter afraid of what might happen if she were to let go but still nodded in agreement. Waverly started the countdown at ten Nicole joining in with her at eight and by the time they dwindled down to one Nicole's breathing was steadily returning to normal and they were pulling up to her house.

“Nicky let’s go inside before this storm gets any worse okay.” Her mom said

Taking Kelly Haught’s lead Waverly pushed forward. “Yeah Nic you can show me your Legos and stuff okay. Plus I need someone to carry my bag and hold my hand. You know, so I don’t slip on the ice.” She coaxed with a small smile.

“Y- yeah okay, of course, Waves. Anythin’ you want.” Nicole said, her panic attack slowly fading into the background. “Maybe we can watch Lion King, I mean if ya want. I’ll make us a fort.”

The girls made their way into the warmth of the house against the raging wind and snow. They worked diligently to make a fort from the blankets and pillows of Nicole’s bedroom. Nicole showed Waverly how to build cars from her Legos and read her some Wonder Woman comics before they got tired and put The Lion King on. Nicole cried like she always did when Mufasa died so Waverly cuddled up with her and the friends fell asleep. They quietly breathed each other in, heartbeats syncing as they descended into a peace they only felt in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fun times at the river! will they figure their shit out? who knows, not me and i'm the one that wrote this crazy shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo what up fam. I was getting impatient so please enjoy the next installment of two idiots that love each other a day early. Maybe I should change the title to that instead. Hopefully the writing gets better as the chapters increase. If not I do apologize. Anyway, enjoy this ish and let me know what you think.  
> Also you may notice Nicole's accent dip in and out. I figured the druker she got the more she'd lose control of that  
> PS. it may not be the best Idea to post when drunk but i guess we'll never know. I mean we might but i'll probably still be too drunk to care.

Waverly July 6th 2019

Encountering Nicole Rayleigh Haught that afternoon had not been part of Waverly's plans for the day. The gorgeous redhead had blindsided her and even though she was hoping for some sort of reunion when she first caught a glimpse of her trademark Stetson, it still took Waverly off guard. To say that the surprise meeting knocked her off her feet, might be the understatement of the century. It threw her entire world off its axis and she was now spinning haphazardly around just trying to get her bearings. 

The soft callus of Nicole's hand, as she took Waverly's in her own, and intertwined their fingers, told a story she had missed out on. She realized she knew very little about her anymore. They had both grown and changed in their own ways in their years apart. Was this Nicole the same sweet, kind, dorky but charming kid that left her behind all those years ago? If they're short reunion told her anything, she was willing to bet on it.

The girls swam with the current for about 5 minutes before catching a glimpse of Wynonna’s glorious mane. Somehow, even after spending the majority of the day in the water it still looked on point. Waverly wondered how she always had perfect hair even in the most imperfect conditions. Her own had been pulled into twin braids to avoid it getting too disheveled on their trip. Now with Nicole looking at her like she hung the stars, she wasn't sure it'd have mattered much either way. 

As they closed in on her sister, Waverly noticed she and Jeremy weren't alone. They had posted up on shore and were casually chatting to an almost overbearing figure all chiseled muscle and dark skin. While Wynonna was chatting, Jeremy was gawking and didn't even seem engaged in whatever was happening there. Wynonna laughed, throwing her head and hair back in one motion and Waverly knew trouble was afoot. 

"Oh, looks like X found a new friend and a very attractive new friend by the looks of it. God dang that ass is top shelf." Nicole stated totally aloof to the fact that Waverly was now staring daggers at the side of her head as they approached the group.

"Yeah well that beautiful woman with the top shelf ass happens to be my stupid freaking sister." The jealousy seeping through Waverly's voice did not go unnoticed by Nicole. 

Seemingly unfazed, Nicole carried on. "Oh, don't be jelly Lil' Bean, you'll always be my number one Earp. Besides, Wynonna's not really my type. A lil' too wild for my taste… well for anything serious anyway. Also, I didn't even realize that was her, it's been so long. She’s gotta be in her thirties by now huh?" She laughed. “And don’t cut yourself short, you grew up quite nicely too. Chef's kiss if ya ask me." She winked and gestured, kissing the tips of her fingers to her lips, causing a flush of pink to paint Waverly's cheeks.

"Darn it Nic, why do you have to be so darn cute. You were basically undressing my sister with your eyes one second then you're charming my boots off the next. I can even stay mad at you." Waverly pouted.

Nicole stopped swimming at that, her legs strong enough to touch rocky bottom and brace firmly against the waist deep waters. She took Waverly's hand in hers and pulled her close before she could float away, shielding her from the lazy current with her own body. One hand wrapped snugly around Waverly's waist and the other still holding her hand she interlocked their fingers. They stood close, hips and chests touching, Nicole’s face just inches from her own. The expression on her face was serious, as if all jokes were thrown out the window. She stared deep into hazel eyes for a second too long before she spoke, "Hey now, how can I charm ya boots off when ya ain't even wearin' any? Might I be so bold to assume that ya may jus’ have a lil crush on me Waverly Earp?" She smirked laying her thick country accent on heavy and if she weren't holding her firmly in her grip Waverly would have floated away at the absurdity of it all. 

The brunette’s face fell. "You gotta be freaking kitten me Nicole, you're such a dork.” She laughed, trying to brush off the fluster she was feeling. “If you inflate that ego anymore, that big ol’ head of yours might actually explode." Waverly stated matter of factly before she wiggled free of Nicole’s grasp and drifted the rest of the way down to their group. 

“That wasn’t a no, Waves!” Nicole shouted after her, following a little ways behind. She could hear the smile in the ginger’s voice without even turning around and holy crap, she knew she was in trouble. 

Waverly made her way to the shore where her older sister was blatantly flirting with one mighty uncomfortable looking Xavier Dolls. Wynonna must have been so distracted by her mission that she didn’t even notice her baby sister creeping up behind her. “Nonna!” Waverly screamed as she simultaneously came up and slapped her ass leaving a red impression of her hand in its wake. 

Wynonna nearly jumped out of her bikini. “Jesus Fucking Christ Baby Girl, what in the hot fucking hell was that! You damn near gave me a heart attack. How the hell did you sneak up on me like that?"

“Well you were a bit distracted to say the least... I see you’re making friends.” Waverly nodded towards Xavier. He returned her look with a nod of his own. 

“Yeah you cou- Nicole?" Wynonna finally noticed the tall ginger standing behind her younger sister, dripping wet, a toothy smile on her face. Eyes wide in disbelief she continued staring at Nicole, "Nicole Little Haughtpants Haught? Do my eyes deceive me? Is it really you?" She questioned.

"As I live and breathe. I should have known you'd find this sexy beast of mine." Nicole slapped Xavier on the shoulder and pulled him into a side hug.

“I see you found your hat and also a little tag along.” Xavier nudged her with a knowing smile

Wynonna gave them a look of confusion, then in a light bulb moment connected the dots… or so she thought. "Oh shit sorry Haught had I know you were dating I would have never… Of course you'd bag a hot as hell bf look at you.” She said, admiring Nicole a bit too much for Waverly’s liking. “You really grew up didn't you…."

Nicole couldn't contain the laughter at Wynonna's insinuation. "Dude! Are you fucking serious? Look at me for one damn second, I am obviously super duper unbelievably gay. What about any of this" she gestured to herself "screams straight? I swear you Earps have the worst gaydar I've ever encountered, except for Willa and your mama I guess. I'm pretty sure they knew I was gay before I did. This" she gestured to Dolls "is Xavier Dolls my fucking stepbrother… who you've met multiple times when we were kids. Even if I weren't a fucking lesbian I'd still have no business datin’ him!" She shook her head trying to rid herself of the ridiculousness of it all.

Wynonna's dumbfounded expression had Waverly snickering by her side. "Yeah Nonna, she's obviously gay.” She said ignoring the fact that she also only discovered Nicole was gay about thirty minutes prior. “Seriously, how do you not remember Dolls though? We literally hung out all the time." 

"Well he introduced himself as Xavier and we always just called him Dolls… I'm actually not sure I even knew his first name. And I mean look at him, last time we saw him he was what eighteen or some shit? He was all skinny and awkward too. That would explain why he offered to help us pull our shit to shore I suppose." Wynonna contemplated scrunching her face in thought.

"Wynonna, I literally called your name. You didn't think that was weird?" Dolls interjected.

"I mean not really. Lots of people know me in this shithole town. I'm kinda infamous. Also I was a little distracted here. Your big brother got hot Nic." She shrugged. "Also of course you two dipshits would find each other. Should have known that was your grody ass hat Waverly abandoned us to save."

"Hey it's not grody," Nicole whined "it's just well loved and probably about 20 years old now so I can't really complain."

"Yeah I don't care Nic. I'm more concerned that you two rascals" she said pointing at Nicole and Waverly "have been magically reunited after what, almost a decade? And you're already back in sync. Waves said that same shit just before she jumped ship and left us to fend for ourselves." Wynonna huffed. "We could have died Waves! What were you thinking leaving me in the care of this nerd." She pointed to Jeremy who was now talking to Dolls about something apparently quite interesting. 

"Oh shut up Nonna you were fine, quit being a baby. Anyway, I was thinking we could maybe tie up with Nic and Dolls for the rest of the trip. The midway point is coming up soon so we can stop and have lunch together too." Waverly suggested. 

"Sure Baby Girl, whatever you want." Waverly figured Wynonna mostly agreed so she could flirt with Dolls some more but she couldn’t bring herself to care, as long as she got to spend more time reconnecting with her former best friend. Nicole wasn't wrong, she was suffering from a very intense crush. Old habits and all. 

After introducing Nicole to Jeremy and vise versa they tied their tubes together and set sail for the halfway point. The group chatted leisurely and the three girls took down a few more beers in the 20 minutes before they reached their destination. Waverly got to work making everyone sandwiches since apparently Nicole and Dolls' version of a healthy lunch was a box of chewy Chips Ahoy cookies and a bag of kettle cooked salt and vinegar chips. A very weird combination in of itself. "It's a good thing I packed extra sandwich fixings. Honestly Nicole it's a miracle you've made it this far." Waverly scolded.

"Shit, I thought I'd be dead by 20 so yeah e’ery day past is a miracle on it's own." Nicole laughed only half joking while Waverly shot her a concerned look. "I'm sure we'd of been fine only eatin' cookies and super acidic chips and also excessively drinkin' all day. Like ya said, I've made it this far.” Nicole said handing Waverly a bottle which she begrudgingly took. “Live a little Waves! Have some Jager, this is where the fun begins!" 

Waverly studied the dark green glass through squinted eyes and a furrowed brow. It looked like some sort of old timey medicine bottle from the wild west. She was skeptical to say the least. "What kind of snake oil are you trying to poison me with here Nic? This looks like something my great great grandaddy would have drank. And you know you're not supposed to have glass down here!" Waverly affirmed as she continued to study the bottle. Her face scrunched when she uncapped it and smelled the contents. "Oh my God Nicole! That smells like straight black licorice! How are you even drinking it!"

"It's actually pretty good come on Waves, it's jus' a bit of Jager. Quit being a princess and just try it. Here we can make you a little baby Jager bomb if ya won't drink it straight. It's actually better that way anyway. The Redbull really adds that extra kick." Nicole snatched the bottle back to fix them up in some plastic cups.

Wynonna was pulled from her sandwich bliss at the mention of Jägerbombs to which she insisted she also partake in. Nicole and Wynonna took their respective shots without even the slightest grimace. "Hell yeah Haught Sauce! I haven't had one of those in years! Way to make my fucking day." The two hooted and hollered as she planted a sloppy kiss on Nicole's unsuspecting cheek. Waverly looked on, jaw to the floor as the scene unfolded. She never felt more jealous of her sister than she did at that moment. "Come on drink up Baby Girl or I'm gonna do it for you and you really don't want to see what happens if I have more of those." 

"Yeah Waves, drink up! We tryna get lit! Ya need to get on our level!" Nicole instigated, as she wrapped an arm around Wynonna's shoulders, the two of them hopping around like a couple of buzzed monkeys. 

Not sure if the jealousy or the taunting took hold first, Waverly glared at the duo and took her shot back in one long swig, wincing only slightly when the ice cold liquid hit her throat. "Holy milkshakes, that was weird!" It really wasn't that bad. Maybe even a bit sweet. Definitely not her drink of choice but she could be down with it if that was their flavor of the day. "See I did it now will you two idiots quit clowning around and finish your darn lunch! You need actual food in your bellies if you’re going to keep drinking like you are."

"Well shit, ya actually did it." Nicole said in disbelief. "Ain't that somethin'. The lil’ bean is finally drinkin’ with the big kids now. Hope it gave you some liquid courage cause Ima 'bout to climb up an' jump off them cliffs over there and I'm fixin' to bring ya with me." Nicole pointed to the steep cliffs a little ways from them that a few river goers were freescaling and nodded like the idea was set in stone.

The more buzzed Nicole got the heavier her accent resurfaced. It was cute and somewhat endearing to see parts of her she thought were gone, sneak their way out with her lowered inhibitions. "Nic I think you may be a bit too buzzed to climb anything right now, besides that cliff is like 10 meters high. You're going to get hurt." She was not nearly intoxicated enough to think that was a good idea but after that last shot she was well on her way.

Nicole blew a legitimate raspberry at that causing her and Wynonna to burst out in laughter. Waverly couldn't help but laugh a bit too. Even after all these years Nicole was still the same goober she maybe kind of fell for as a kid and honestly she was here for it. What she wasn't here for was drunk Wynonna starting to get a bit too handsy with her Nicole. She watched a sneaky arm slink its way around her midsection and settle on the bare skin of Nicole’s waist. Somewhere along the line Wynonna had forgotten all about sober Dolls and almost exclusively shifted her attention to Nicole. How could she not. Nicole was nothing if not attractive, all long limbs and lean muscle. Not to mention those freaking tattoos, god they were killing her. No one had any business looking that good, least not out there in the heat of summer.

Nicole pried herself from Wynonna's grip and b-lined for Waverly placing two steady hands on her shoulders. "Waves, don't worry so much. First of all I've jumped that cliff every time I've come here since we were kids… well every time 'cept last time cause my ex was being a sad sack. And second I rock climb on the reg that lil' thing ain't nothin' to worry 'bout. I ain’t even drunk I'm jus' feelin' pretty dang good right now. And havin' ya here with me is a big part of that." Nicole smiled softly, her dimples threatening to make an appearance. "Now whatcha say? Ya wanna go on an adventure with me?"

And with that Waverly once again let herself be whisked away by the undeniable force that was Nicole Fucking Haught. 

×××

Waverly, Nicole, and Dolls stood in the neck deep (well for Waverly anyways) water at the base of the cliff taking it all in. It was taller than it seemed from shore, more imposing almost. From where they stood the current was nearly non-existent; the surrounding rock structures creating some sort of deep halcyon pool. Oh god, what did she get herself into. 

Wynonna had downright refused the offer saying there was no way in hell she was climbing that death trap. She would just have to appreciate the view from behind her beer. She and Jeremy would watch their things from their tubes anchored to shore. Waverly glared at her unsuspecting sister as she removed Nicole’s stetson and put it on her own head for safe keeping. 

"Well ain't no point standin’ here much longer. You ready Waves?" Nicole bumped Waverly's shoulder with her own in question. 

The answer was easy. No, no she was not ready. She may never be, but the way Nicole looked at her with nothing but patience and admiration made her want to try. "Umm, maybe you and Dolls can climb first and show me how and then I can go after that. Yeah, yeah that sounds like a good plan." She reasoned mostly with herself.

"Alright then Waves but as soon as we're down you're goin' with me even if i have to drag your cute lil' butt up there." Nicole and Dolls had the cliff scaled and in no time at all, were free falling back into the river. Before she knew it, Waverly was being instructed on how best to make her way up by an overly enthusiastic Nicole. Was she scared? Yes. Was she fueled by lingering feelings and booze? Yes. Was she overtly aware of her long time crush staring unabashedly at her ass all while trying to concentrate on the task at hand? Also yes. "Nicole how the heck am I supposed to concentrate on not falling when I can literally feel you staring at my ass!" She shouted down at the ginger. 

Caught red-handed Nicole just shrugged, "It's kinda hard not to when I'm right below you like this. Not that I mind, you can climb above me any day of the week." She flirted. "You're doing fine. Look jus' push off that there rock, and you should be able to reach the top." Nicole gave her final instructions and Waverly pulled herself over and onto the flat shelf overlooking the water, Nicole following closely behind. 

"Yes! I made it!" She shouted with a fist pump. The excitement from the successful climb quickly faded when she looked back down to the river. If she thought it looked high from the bottom it was nothing compared to now. She felt 1000 meters high. Whatever mindset she was in when she started this endeavor had dissolved and she was left paralyzed in fear. "Oh shit balls… this… this is really fucking high Nic." She said voice thick in her throat, her mouth suddenly drier than the Sahara desert. "Uhh, I think I'm just going to climb back down. This is too much."

"No can do Lil' Bean. There's only one way off this cliff, an’ you’re staring down at it." Nicole was right, their former path was now blocked by a line of other daredevils waiting their turn to make the jump. "Take your time Waves. We'll go when you're ready. But the more ya look at it the harder it'll be to jump so don't take too long. You're gonna sike yourself out." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here we go, I'm going to do it. Just give me a second to mentally prepare." Waverly said trying to hype herself up for the inevitable. 

"Jump, jump jump!" Wynonna heckled from the safety of her tube on shore. 

"Shut up Nonna I'm going to!" Waverly screamed in retaliation. 

"You won't! You're too scared! Nic is gonna have to throw you over in a second!" She teased. Waverly’s face went white with fear.

"I would never! Shut the fuck up Wynonna you're making it worse!" Nicole yelled. "Waverly look at me." Nicole said, gently taking Wavely's face in her hands, brown eyes piercing into hazel. "I ain’t gonna push you, I would never do that. But we're up here now, an’ there's only one way down. We'll go together on three okay? I got you, I promise."

"Yeah okay, on three.” She agreed “Will you hold my hand?" Waverly whispered. 

"Always." Nicole affirmed as she gripped Waverly's hand in her own.

They fell for what felt like an eternity. In reality it was likely little more than a second before they crashed into the calm water below. Nicole kept to her word and never let go even as the river consumed them. Waverly felt all the air leave her lungs and just when she thought her heart would beat right out of her chest she felt Nicole's strong arms wrap around her and pull her back above water. "Oh my fucking God! Holy fucking shit balls Nic! That was so mother fucking incredible!" Her adrenaline peaked and before she knew it, her arms wrapped around Nicole's neck and her legs around her waist in a tight embrace. If Nicole wasn't such a strong swimmer they would have gone under in the deep pool. Instead she held her closer with one arm and swam them clumsily back to the shallows. 

"So, am I safe to assume it was worth the paralyzing fear then? I n'ver thought I'd live to see the day so many f-bombs flew from little Waverly Earp's mouth." Nicole laughed as her feet finally touched the rocky river bottom. Waverly was still clinging to her front like a koala bear.

"Nicole that was one of the scariest, most amazing, exhilarating things I've ever done. Thank you for convincing me to go for it. I'm so pumped, I seriously feel like I could fight a freaking bear right now!" Waverly exclaimed, flailing her arms about but squeezing her legs tighter so she could stay close.

"Damn, that good huh?" Nicole lifted an eyebrow in question as she continued to walk them to the shore. Her hands braced on the back of toned thighs when they broke the water's surface to support Waverly’s full weight. So consumed by the strong deliberately placed hands and the cocky but unbearably sexy smirk on Nicole's face, she barely even noticed they were back on dry land. Everything about that moment was perfect. The way Nicole looked at her like she held the answers to the universe, the way her calloused hands held firm but soft, careful not to cross any boundaries without consent. She knew in that moment there was nowhere else she'd rather be than wrapped up in Nicole’s embrace. Nicole’s thumbs rubbed slow circles against bare thighs. Her pupils dilated with desire, eyes skirted to Waverly’s lips as if to ask for permission before finally claiming what had been hers since the first day they met. Maybe it was just the adrenalin but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Her thumb brushed along the curve of Nicole’s cheek where the once prominent scar had faded to be just barely noticeable. One deep breath and she leaned in ready to capture Nicole’s lips with her own.

"Yo, Waves quit dry humping Nic, we are in public! Jesus, have some god damn decency you heathens!” A heckling Wynonna broke them from their trance. 

The reality of her current situation sunk in. She, almost kissed Nicole Haught. And, if she were a betting woman, she’d be willing to say Nicole Haught was just a breath away from letting her. Moment broken, Waverly rested their foreheads together briefly and sighed before finally releasing her grip on Nicole. “To be continued, yeah?” she whispered in Nicole’s ear before separating completely. Nicole simply nodded, seemingly unable to form cohesive thought just yet.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Christmas chapter? Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo what up fam. New chapter and all that jazz. Let me know what you think. Also I'm thinking about changing the title. I was never super fond of it anyway but just needed something to call it before I started posting. So yeah, there's that.

Nicole: December 2002

With winter break officially in full swing, Nicole and her mom were heading off to her grandparents ranch in Arizona the following night. They decided to invite the Earp girls over for dinner to celebrate Christmas early. They gathered around the dining table and all enjoyed a small turkey feast topped off with way too many cookies for dessert. The two younger girls had happily helped Nicole's mom make everything from chocolate chip, to sugar cookies the day before. Wynonna just ate them as they came out of the oven, content to do nothing but eat and "chillax" as she put it the entirety of their break.

The trio of girls sat around and watched old Christmas movies, avoiding the one Nicole still couldn't bring herself to watch. There was only one probing question as to why Nicole was so adamant about not wanting to watch the holiday classic, but Wynonna quickly backed off when she saw tears gather at the corners of sad brown eyes.

"Hey Haughtpants, let us sign your cast before you abandon us here for the next few weeks." The older girl suggested. "That way you can prove to everyone in the states that you actually have friends." The three of them had settled into the floor of Nicole's bedroom, the Earps sitting on either side of her, Frosty the Snowman playing quietly in the background. 

"Ooh yeah we can make it very festive. I can draw some candy canes… I think… that should be pretty easy." Waverly reasoned, trying to hide the skepticism in her voice.

"Yeah fine wha'ever. It's comin' off when we get home anyway. Jus' don't get too crazy, yeah?" Nicole said arching an eyebrow in Wynonna's direction. 

"Nicole, I would never!" Wynonna affirmed with fake sincerity. 

By the end of the night, Nicole's cast was decorated with a combination of cute candy canes, some Santa hats and a couple of crudely drawn candy cane colored dicks. "Wynonna! My ma is gonna kill me when she sees this!" Nicole face palmed. She had been too distracted by Waverly’s concentrated face; she failed to monitor Wynonna’s antics. Well she definitely should have seen that one coming.

"It'll be fine, kid. They look kinda like Waves' candy canes. I bet she won't even notice." Wynonna snickered. "If she does just tell her I did it while you were sleeping or something. 

"Wynonna! I can't believe you did that! We are kids! She can't be walking around like that!" Waverly chastised. 

There was a honk outside and Wynonna bolted before Waverly could stop her. "Whoa would you look at the time. Looks like Doc is here for me. I'll see you in the morning Waves. Have fun with Haught Potato here. Don't do anything I wouldn't." 

"That doesn't really leave much Nonna!" Waverly yelled after her. "Oh gosh Nic I'm so sorry about her. I hope your mom doesn't get too mad." Waverly said, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, it ain't nothin' to cry about Waves." Nicole laughed. "It's actually kinda funny. They do kinda look like ya candy canes. She probably won't even notice. I don't think she pays that much attention." 

"Are you sure it's okay Nic?" Waverly whimpered. 

"Yeah it's cool. Like I said, it's comin' off when we get back anyway. I'm sure my uncle will think it's real funny too." Nicole held her arm up admiring Wynonna's masterpiece with a small smile. 

"You know you don't always have to be so nice. You could be mad about things every once in a while." Waverly shoved her gently

"Waverly I ain’t nice all the time. Why ya think I had that black eye the day we met? I got mad. Fights ain't no joke and I got punched in the face, not before I gave stupid Champ a couple black eyes of his own obviously." Nicole puffed out her chest at the admission. "I jus'... I jus' can't seem to get mad at ya. You're too good and that makes me wanna be good too." Nicole shrugged. 

Nicole and Waverly enjoyed the rest of their night together eating cookies and playing Super Smash Bros. on her Gamecube. Occasionally, Nicole would feel generous and throw a match Waverly’s way just to see her hoot and holler. Something about seeing the excitement in Waverly made her happier than all her victories combined. Once video games lost their interest and the night started to dwindle, Nicole decided to give Waverly the Christmas gift she picked out at the mall bookstore. A brief history of Arizona during the old west. The book was definitely more advanced reading than she would normally venture into but Waverly's reading and comprehension level was already far above her grade level and Nicole figured she'd have no troubles at all with the few hundred page book. Waverly was over the moon with the gift and Nicole wasn’t sure if it was due to the gift itself or the fact that someone other than Wynonna got her something. Either way, the beaming smile on Waverly's face, made the horrid trip to the mall bookstore worth the while. Both girls tucked into bed, Waverly read aloud until Nicole was softly snoring and her own eyelids could no longer carry the weight of the long day. She snuggled into Nicole’s side where she felt safest and finally let herself be carried into her dreams. 

***

Leaving Waverly behind knowing she wouldn't see her for the next few weeks was a strain on Nicole's fragile heart. They drove away from the homestead and through misty eyes, Nicole watched Wavely slowly fade away into the distance, seeing her off with only a smile and wave. She felt like part of her heart stayed there that day. Maybe that was Waverly's true Christmas gift or maybe Nicole had been slowly gifting her pieces of herself since the day they met. It didn't matter much now, she didn't want it back anyway. She really didn't suppose she ever would. 

The Haught's touched down in Arizona around 5:30 the following afternoon and by the time they arrived at her grandparents ranch in Flagstaff it was well past 10:00. Despite Nicole's protests, her mom insisted she wait until tomorrow to call Waverly. Nicole had promised to call as soon as they got there, as to not worry her but her mom was right, it was late and she really didn't want to be a bother. She would have to settle with calling in the morning. 

Without Waverly to keep her company the few days leading up to Christmas dragged on. Nicole had called when she could but it was a struggle with the adult managed schedules of two little girls. Well Nicole's schedule anyway, she wasn't quite sure who if anyone managed Waverly's time. 

Christmas eve came and went and they still hadn't spoken since they dropped Waverly off at the homestead the day they left. The first few times she had called, Willa had answered, telling her, her baby sister was out with Wynonna. The next couple times, she got nothing but an answering machine, leaving a message to call her back when she could. Without Waverly around, Nicole was finding it increasingly difficult to fend off the building anxiety and depression of her first Christmas without her dad. She hadn't said more than a few words since they arrived at the ranch in the days prior. Just nodded and agreed to most everything she was pushed into. Her mom even coaxed her into a puffy red dress without her stetson for Christmas dinner, Nicole's only request being she could change into her pjs immediately after.

Dinner finished, and finally in her Christmas footie pajamas, Nicole attempted to call Waverly one last time before everyone settled down to watch Christmas movies. The phone rang and rang until the answering machine clicked on and Wynonna's voice assaulted her ear drums for the fourth time in two days. "Yo! We ain't home! Do the thing and leave a message ya filthy animals!" 

The recording was punctuated by a high pitched "Wynonna!" from Waverly before she heard the beep. Nicole let out a defeated sigh as she left the number for the ranch house again and hung up. Already on edge from the day’s events, it took something as simple as walking into the living room to the sight of the one movie she had been avoiding like the plague to push her into another panic attack. Rudolph and his merry gang of misfits faded into background noise. She could have sworn the ringing in her ears got louder before all could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat trying to rip itself from her chest. Her mom had promised her they wouldn't have to watch it this year, reassured her that at the very least she wouldn't have to hear those stupid cartoons sing their stupid songs. But here she was standing like a statue in the walkway merging the kitchen to the living room having a complete Christmas meltdown. All because one of her selfish relatives just couldn't imagine Christmas without it. Over the past few weeks Nicole felt as though she was finally getting her emotions under control, but without Waverly's reassuring presence she seemed to slip back into a familiar funk. Hyperventilation imminent, Nicole's vision blurred; whether it was from the tears or erratic breathing she couldn’t be sure. Her mom, quick as lightning, scooped her up in her steady arms, all while cursing out her relatives. The last thing she remembered before she passed out completely was the look of sheer panic on damn near every face in the room. "Well shit. That'll be fun to deal with tomorrow." She thought, as her mind drifted out of consciousness in a feeble attempt at protecting her from herself. 

***

Waverly 

Waverly sniffled through tears as that old beat up truck trudged down the long driveway of the homestead. She watched Nicole stare at her through the back window until she couldn’t make out the silhouette of the truck any more. Well that was a new feeling for sure. She already missed Nicole and she wasn't even out of town yet. If today was anything to go by, the next couple weeks we're sure to be a bit rough without her Nicole by her side. It wasn't as though they saw each other every day as it was, but on days they didn't they would talk on the phone and share their days that way. 

In the four days since Nicole left, Waverly had yet to hear from her. She would have called herself but Nicole hadn't left the number for the ranch house so Waverly was left twiddling her thumbs and waiting. Wynonna had been trying her best to keep her busy and distracted after seeing her way too moppy the days following Nicole’s departure. Waverly had initially protested but Wynonna essentially drug her to the old rec center by her ear. "Don't worry Baby Girl. If Haught Sauce calls while we're out I'm sure she'll leave her number on the machine so you can call her back." They spent the next few days in and out of the house, their mama even took them to pick out a tree on Christmas eve with the help of her boyfriend Julian. Most of the good ones had been picked clean but Julian was nice and seemed to treat her better than either of her parents ever did so at least there was that. 

Her aunt Gus and uncle Curtis drove Waverly and Wynonna out to their property on Christmas morning to celebrate together. Willa downright refused the invitation altogether. The four of them enjoyed a nice dinner and the girls opened the small gifts their aunt and uncle gave them before Curtis drove them back home. While Waverly did have a good time she was missing Nicole and couldn't for the life of her figure out why she still hadn't called. It was Christmas gosh darn it and if Nicole didn't call tonight she was about to lose her mind.

The girls walked into their home to the sound of Nicole's voice on the answering machine, catching just the tail end of her phone number before she hung up with a sigh. Waverly raced into the kitchen to call Nicole back hoping she wasn't too late, but she was taken back by the sight of Willa hovering over the machine preparing to delete her message "Wait!" Waverly shouted, slinking back behind Wynonna as she realized what she'd done. She knew better than to challenge Willa at anything, lest she face her wrath. Seemingly caught in the act though, Willa froze.

"Seriously Willa? Waves has been waiting the past few days for her friend to call and you were just going to delete the one message she left?" Wynonna questioned 

"One message?" Willa laughed "There's definitely been more than that. That little monster has been leaving messages all week. She's been taking up all the space on our machine." Willa snarked. 

"Really dude?" Wynonna challenged. "You know she's been waiting to hear from her. She always gets the crumbs of everything. Jesus! Why can't you just let her have this one thing." Waverly was still hiding behind her sister gripping tightly to the back of her awful Christmas sweater, hoping an actual fight didn't break out. The older girls were at a standoff neither refusing to give an inch.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Willa caved. "Whatever losers! Don't blame me when her queerness rubs off on the two of you!" She huffed as she made her way back to her bedroom.

"I don't even know what that means!" Waverly whisper yelled just loud enough for Wynonna to catch and snort at. Waverly brushed passed the comment, made quick work of getting Nicole's number from the message and dialed it straight away. The phone rang a few times before a stranger answered in a gruff voice. "Yeah?"

Waverly was flustered for a split second before pushing through. She knew she was staying with relatives; it was probably just an uncle or cousin answering. "Uh hi, yeah this is Waverly, uh Waverly Earp." She said in a too high pitched voice.

"And?" The man questioned "is that supposed to mean something to me?"

"Uh I mean no not to you I guess…" Waverly was shook up by the abrasive nature of this man and stumbled through her next words. "I… I'm just, I'm just looking for Nic. I mean Nicole!" She corrected quickly. 

"She's busy kid, call back some time tomorrow." It was the last thing she heard before the click of the phone being hung up. What the heck was that about Waverly thought as she put the phone back on the receiver disheartenedly. She steeled herself before making her way up to her room. At least she had Nicole's number now and she could call her back first thing in the morning. 

Wynonna was laying in her bed reading an old sports illustrated swimsuit edition when Waverly sulked in. She looked over the pages at a discouraged Waverly. "So, I take it Operation Haught to Trot was unsuccessful huh?" 

Waverly nodded. "I just hope she's okay. They said she was busy and she's never too busy to talk to me."

"Don't worry too much, baby girl. It's late she probably just went to bed. Why don't you get in here with me and snuggle up, I'll read you this awesome magazine" Wynonna lifted her thick comforter up and scootched over to make room for her tiny sister.

"Where did you even get that Nonna? It looks older than me." Waverly sighed as she climbed under the covers with her sister cuddling softly into her side. Wynonna ran her finger through Waverly's hair as she read god knows what from the issue ten years past. It was comforting though hearing her voice as the gentle strokes soothed her into a peaceful sleep.

***

Nicole

Nicole awoke in a panic. The unfamiliar room took her by surprise for a moment. The bright morning sun shone through the breaks in the blinds, allowing her to make sense of her surroundings, ah yes, her bedroom in the old ranch house. She sat up and sighed as the memories of the night's events came back to her. The looks on her relatives' faces as she was carried away only fueled her embarrassment. Yup, this was going to be an interesting day for sure.

Not bothering to change out of her green reindeer footie pajamas, Nicole made her way downstairs. She caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror on the back of her door and paused to let out a laugh. "Wow Wynonna would definitely tease the heck out of me about these" she thought out loud. "Waves would probably love them though." Waverly, dear sweet Waverly, why hadn't she called back? Nicole raked her brain for any explanation. The overwhelming worry that Waverly actually didn't like her crept into the back of her mind and scratched on the door she kept all her negative thoughts locked behind, struggling to break free.

Her mom must have heard her rustling upstairs, "Nicole! Are you up?" she yelled from the downstairs kitchen. 

"Yeah Ma, I'm comin', jeez! Hold yer horses." Nicole yelled back trudging down the stairs. 

"Hey enough attitude young lady. Get in here, you little sassy pants, have a phone call." She held the phone towards Nicole for her to take.

"Waves?!" She asked with a hesitant smile.

Kelly laughed, "Why don’t you come find out."

Nicole cautiously took the phone from her mom's outstretched hand. "'Ello?"

"Nic!" Waverly squeaked out.

Excitement and relief flooded over her once she heard Waverly's voice through the receiver. "Waves! Ya finally called back! My god I was startin' to get worried I did somethin' wrong. I been calln' everyday since we got here! Well 'cept that first night we got in real late and Ma said I had to wait. I ain't even get to tell ya merry Christmas or nothin'. I did leave a couple messages, but I weren't sure if you were gettin' 'em. Ya know since I hadn't heard nothin' from ya since I left."

"Nic?" Waverly tried to break up the ongoing rambling. 

"No no no. It really is cool Waves. You probably jus' been real busy ba-"

"Nicole will you just shut up for one fudging second so I can tell you why I haven't called?" Waverly interrupted slightly aggressively. 

Nicole was shocked by the younger girl’s abrasiveness. "Oh uh yeah, yes of course. I'm doing it again ain't I? I'll jus' stop talkin' now…" slipped out though sheer nervousness and embarrassment. She was glad Waverly couldn't see her. She was probably redder than her hair right now. Her mom was watching her daughter's rambling with curious amusement. It wasn't often she witnessed her typically stoic child get so flustered. It was an interesting development to say the least.

"Are you done now?" Waverly questioned. Nicole frantically nodded waiting for Waverly to continue. 

"Nicole?" Waverly asked, waiting for a response. It was then that Nicole realized she may be the most awkward person to have ever lived. 

"Wow, I'm real dumb. I was nodding but you actually can't see me." A nervous laugh escaped her mouth.. Although she was anxious it was a different feeling than when she would fall into a panic attack. This felt good almost, maybe even a bit exciting. 

"Nic the reason I hadn't called back was stupid jerk face Willa was deleting all your messages while we weren't home. Said something about not wanting your queerness rubbing off on Wynonna and me. I really don't know what that's supposed to mean. Anyway, we caught her in the act last night right before she could do it again. There was a good ol' fashion Mexican standoff between her and Wy. I thought they were gonna throw fists again, but Willa finally caved and stormed off to her room. I called back right after but the old grump I talked to said you were busy so I figured I'd try again today." Relief flooded over Nicole, she supposed she really was dumb if she thought the angel that was Waverly Earp would leave her hanging without a word.

The girls caught up and discussed what they were going to be up to in the coming days. Nicole's uncle Sam; whom she assumed was the grouch Waverly spoke to since he was the only man staying in the ranch house with them last night, was going to teach her how to snowboard over the next few days. She was actually quite fond of Sam, he was always a straight shooter and never treated Nicole any different when everyone else acted like she was made of glass. Plus, once you got passed his rough exterior he was softer than a warm marshmallow.

They talked about everything and nothing until Nicole's mom asked her to hang up and eat her breakfast. Nicole did as she was told; it was her favorite banana pancakes after all and the cookies and hot chocolate from last night could only get her so far. The duo said their goodbyes and were hopeful that now knowing Nicole's schedule for the rest of her trip would make communication much easier. 

Nicole spent the rest of her trip snowboarding with her uncle and a couple older cousins. After some gnarly crashes, her throw caution to the wind attitude was finally paying off and she caught on rather quickly. She hoped they had slopes in Purgatory so she could teach Waverly when she got home. 

New Years passed in a flash, her daily conversations with her best friend had done wonders to keep her anxiety at bay. Before she knew it, she and her mom were boarding a plane back home. If Nicole had it her way, she would have gone straight to the Earp homestead as soon as they touched down on the frigid ice land that was Purgatory. Her mom had other ideas though and seeing as it was nearing midnight Nicole was in no position to argue. 

Sleep eluded her for the first time in weeks that night. She was so antsy to see Waverly she would involuntarily jolt up every time her body started to relax. At least she wasn't having nightmares anymore, just emotions too strong for her young brain process. 

She rose with the sun the following morning, running off sheer determination and excitement. She had her appointment to hopefully get her cast removed early this morning then was headed to the Earp homestead to see her little brunette best friend for the first time in a couple weeks. 

A day later the girls, Wynonna included, celebrated Nicole's ninth birthday together with cake and video games. Since the youngest Earp had no money to her name she resigned to making Nicole a card complete with a haphazard drawing of the three girls apparently having hot chocolate and donuts as homage to the first time they hung out. She was not winning any art competitions, but Nicole's heart swelled at the sentiment. She proceeded to hang it on the wall next to her bed, all while complementing Waverly's artistic abilities. Wynonna snickered through the whole thing and finally shut up when Nicole shot her a death glare. Through everything, she had to admit that was one of the best birthdays she could remember. She was only nine though so she supposed she didn't have much experience to go on as far as birthdays were concerned.

***  
School started back up a few days later. Nicole was less than thrilled to return and be ripped from the bubble Waverly and she created together. She moped into her classroom, surprised to see a familiar little brunette sitting straight backed and nervous in her seat. Her mood instantly brightened as she approached with a genuine dimpled smile this time. "Heya Lil Bean. Whatcha doing in here?"

"Nic!" Waverly shot up and pulled her into a tight hug. "Guess what!"

Nicole laughed hugging the smaller girl back. Thoroughly confused by the whole situation she said the first thing that popped in her head. "Uh… chicken butt?…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I moving too slow with this shit? The next flashback chapter is going to jump ahead a few months


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang finishes their river trip and head to Nicole's house for an after party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I struggled a bit with this one. I've been really hyperfocused on my knife forging and haven't been able to think about anything else for weeks. Side note I have an idea for my next fic but I don't think I'm going to release it until i'm nearly finished with it. I don't want to rush and have this one suffer so I'll continue with this one until I'm finished. Anyway come say hey on the old tweeters, I'm interested to see how many people who follow me read this ish.

Nicole July 6th 2019

What the fuck was that, Nicole thought as Waverly released her death grip so Nicole could set her down. Her head was spinning, and it most definitely wasn’t from the adrenaline dump of jumping off the side of a cliff. Nicole was 99.9% sure that Waverly Earp, the first girl she ever loved, as well as the first girl that ever broke her heart, be it unintentionally or not, almost kissed her. She could still feel a slight tingle on her palms from gripping the back of Waverly's thighs, her mind fogged and her heartbeat slammed in her ears. Maybe they were both a little more tipsy than initially thought. Waverly had said “to be continued” though. That had to have meant more right? She was thoroughly confused and hadn’t felt this level of gay panic since she was a teen. All throughout her adolescence she had assumed that Waverly was straight. Yes there were a few instances when they were younger where Nicole felt there was something more but she always brushed it off as her own feelings projecting on her. Now, with Waverly walking away from her, a sly grin on her face as she turned and gave Nicole a look that could send the devil to his knees, she realized maybe, just maybe she really didn’t know nothing about anything. She stood there dripping wet, mouth slightly open, staring at her first love as she skipped over to her sister and friend like nothing had ever happened.

“Man you got it bad, kid.” Dolls startled her slightly, sneaking up on her while all her attention was focused on Waverly. “You two have been back together for what, a couple hours and you’re already acting like you didn’t just spend the better half of a decade apart. I guess you’ve always kinda had a soft spot for little Earp though. You gonna give them heart eyes a break or are you gonna look at her like a love struck puppy for the rest of the day?” He teased.

“Shut it X, she’s just grown up a lot since I last saw her is all and ya know how bad I was back then. There’s a lot to take in.” Sure Nicole was making excuses about her ever persistent, growing infatuation with the tiny brunette, but there was no way in hell she would ever let X have the satisfaction of correctly calling her out. He already knew he was right anyway. 

Back on the river, the group chatted and reminisced about anything and everything, with a very random selection of music playing in the background. Waverly and Wynonna had tied to either side of Nicole, and the fact that they had started to subtly fight for her attention was not lost on her. She and Wynonna were arguably bro-ing out when Pantera's “I'm Broken” suddenly blasted through the speakers, cutting through the gentle upbeat vibes from Bastille playing a second before. The song change along with the mention of her home garage and motorcycle work had Wynonna practically salivating over her, making Nicole the slightest bit uncomfortable now. She could feel Waverly's glare burning a hole in the back of her head as she talked to Wynonna about their shared love of this song in particular. And although Nicole Haught was in no way interested in anything romantic or sexual with the elder Earp, man was she a sucker for the attention of a beautiful woman.

"I'm going to get us some more beers. You idiots want one or are you too busy eye fucking to bother?" Waverly interrupted venom bleeding through her voice. 

Nicole was mid drink when she threw that one at her. She choked and beer shot out her nose, burning her sinuses and making her eyes water. "I am not eye fucking your sister! Jesus Waves, I would never!" She sputtered "We just like some of the same things and she's the one who introduced me to this song all those years ago, when I was an angsty teen."

"You may not be doing me Haught Stuff, but I’ve definitely been doing you. Ain't no shame in appreciating a good thing. Like I said you did a lot of growing up since you were an awkward teen." Wynonna shrugged. 

"Wynonna! You leave Nic alone! You don't even like girls!" Waverly hissed, throwing an unopened can of beer straight at Wynonna's head. Her aim was impeccable and if her sister didn't have impeccable cat-like reflexes, it would have hit her square in the face. Waverly was seething, but Nicole looked on in amusement as the scene unfolded.

Wynonna cracked open her beer and sat back cackling, clearly getting a kick out of her sister’s reaction. "Baby Girl what on god’s green earth have I ever done to make you assume I was straight? Why the hell do you think I’ve been hanging with Rosita so often since Doc and I broke up again?" Waverly scoffed while Nicole tried to hold in the laugh that was threatening to erupt any second now.

"Wynonna I literally don't give a shit who your flavor of the week is right now. Quit flirting with Nic! I liked her first, I call dibs, she's mine!" Waverly growled through gritted teeth, a little too wrapped up in her emotions and alcohol haze to realize what she just said. Her face lit up and her eyes grew wide as she turned to look at Nicole.

Nicole's heart skipped a beat and a shit eating grin took over the entirety of her face. "Waverly Earp, do my ears deceive me or did ya jus' dibs me?" She drawled. Waverly stared like a deer caught in headlights and Nicole's smile grew wider. Even through the heat of the day the crimson shade that covered the younger girl's face was prominent. In all the time that they had known each other this was truly the first that Nicole had seen Waverly at a loss for words. She supposed that's what happened when you very publicly call dibs on your former best friend. Trying to ease some of her embarrassment, Nicole grabbed Waverly's arm that was still frozen holding out a beer for her to grab and pulled her into her tube right onto her lap; the mesh bottom keeping them from falling through. Waverly squealed as their bodies collided, warm skin on warm skin, the river water barely enough to cool them down. One hand braced against Nicole’s abs, the other over her chest, inevitably feeling her heart trying to jump out into her hand. Nicole brushed a stray hair back behind Waverly's ear and lifted her chin so their eyes met, before she spoke honestly. "You know ya ain't wrong Waves. I've probably been yours since the day we met." 

A shy smile crept its way onto Waverly's face, "Yeah?" She questioned in a low whisper.

Nicole nodded, how the hell was she already falling this quickly all over again. "Yeah, since the very beginin', I've always been yours." Nicole breathed. She didn't miss the way Waverly's eyes drifted to her lips, how her hand squeezed the side of her waist, how she licked her lips just a moment before leaning in towards Nicole's own. 

"Gross! Why don't you just pee on her Waves. I get it, I'll back off. Jesus, I don't really want to see my baby sister make out with her super hot childhood crush right in front of my face damn it." The moment broken, the two younger girls let out a laugh, yet resumed to ignore Wynonna. 

"You know you're not broken right Nic?" A look of confusion flashed across the ginger's face. "The song?" Waverly looked at her expectantly. Ah yes, the song, she must be referring to the metal song that was slowly fading out now. It was one that resonated deeply with her as a depressed, messed up teen, especially after her and Waverly quit speaking. She felt broken for such a long time it was music like that that got her through. Even if she didn't feel quite so broken anymore she still enjoyed the feelings it brought back.

Nicole nodded in agreement. "I know Waves. Even if it did take me way longer than it should have to realize it. I still like this music though. It reminds me of who I am now and why I fight so hard to be the person I want to be." Nicole smiled softly at Waverly, willing her to understand. She returned the look, and Nicole let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "And you know, that guitar solo really slaps somethin' different." She chuckled, trying to break some of the built up tension.

Waverly shook her head and laughed, "You're ridiculous, you know that?" 

Nicole gave her a smile, knowing what it would do to the younger girl. "Oh hush, you love it. I'm pretty sure my awkward sense of humor is your favorite thing about me." 

"And, I'm going back to my tube now you cocky shit." Waverly made a move to get up but Nicole gently hugged around the smaller girl’s waist.

"Nooooo, Waves don't go!" Nicole pleaded, nuzzling into her chest. They both blushed when her face came into contact with the smooth exposed skin not covered by her bikini top. She may have been teensy bit drunker than she realized. Waverly didn't seem to be faring much better though. She was a little wobbly and Nicole wasn't even sure she'd make it back to her tube without flopping ungracefully back into the water. 

A moment before Waverly could protest though, the intro to Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon blasted through the speaker and Waverly lost any semblance of sobriety she had left. She let out a high pitched squeal. "Holy macaroni Nicole! I didn't know you had Fleetwood on here! I fudging love this song!" She screamed, a mild slur tipping her words. 

Nicole shrugged, "Yeah, how could I forget. You made us listen to it about a thousand times that one summer." That smug smirk finding home on her face again, as she recalled one of the last summers they spent together. 

The thought of leaving the comfort of Nicole's lap all but forgotten, Waverly threw her arm behind Nicole's neck and made herself comfortable. Who was she kidding, there was no way she was moving from this spot except by force. She set her head on Nicole's chest relaxing into her and quietly sang along. Nicole listened silently, wondering if even after all these years, it was still one of Waverly's favorites.

***  
Their river day came to an end around 4:00pm with Nicole and X pulling the tubes to shore while the Earp girls barked incoherent orders at them from the comfort of their tubes. The fact that all three girls were pleasantly drunk, was made more apparent when Nicole stumbled and fell a couple times on the rocky river bed in her attempt to drag them against the strong current to dry land.

Quite the day it had been, but neither Nicole nor the Earps were ready to end it just yet. Nicole took the liberty of inviting everyone over to her place for more drinks, sealing the deal with a bonfire complete with s'mores and more booze. She even offered her spare room and loft area if they wanted to spend the night. 

Maybe it was the copious amounts of alcohol they'd consumed so far, but Waverly seemed to get bolder as the day went on. When they all boarded the bus to ride back to their cars, Waverly sat confidently on Nicole's lap, in lew of the crowded bench seat.

Jeremy was not thrilled with spending much more time with the trio of drunkards but he gave in alarmingly quickly when X, the only other sober person in their group, said he would miss his company. 

Nicole and Waverly rode in the bed of Dolls' truck opposed to the single cab, for old times sake. Nicole wedged herself in the corner against the tailgate and side and Waverly nestled safely between her thighs, her back to Nicole’s front. She wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist, holding her close to steady them as X drove off. It was rougher back there than she last remembered and the bumping caused Waverly's ass to rub up against her unexpectedly. She inhaled sharply and tried to steady her breathing, hoping Waverly remained blissfully unaware of just how turned on she was becoming. By the devilish smirk the brunette had on her face, Nicole was sure she knew exactly what she was doing. They hadn't even kissed, yet here she was at the point of coming undone from some mild friction, like a hormonal teenager. When X finally pulled into the pizza place to pick up their dinner, she let out a sigh of relief. "It's a little more bumpy back here than I remember, isn't it Nic?" Waverly smirked. Yup, she knew exactly what she was doing.

Nicole leaned into her, resting her chin on the younger girl's shoulder, a hair from her ear. "A word to the wise, don't start anythin' ya ain't prepared to finish, Waverly Earp." She husked popping the "p" in Earp. Waverly shivered and let out an audible gulp. Two could play at that game.

The group arrived at Nicole's childhood home turned self proclaimed bachelor pad just before 6:00pm, and she realized a little too late that everyone was about to see her nerd cave as X liked to refer to it. Her home looked nearly unrecognizable from the family home it was in her childhood. One entire wall was dedicated to her ever growing mass of collectibles, action figures and comics. Another had some smaller hand made shelves that housed her vinyl records, the most rare of them displayed in frames on the walls around them.

"Wow, that's a lot." Waverly said as they entered the open plan living area. Nicole had spent the last eight months remodeling the house to make it not only more spacious, but to better fit her lifestyle. Now she had a generously sized kitchen and living room as well as a moderately sized upstairs loft/ gaming area. She did have to remove one of the bedrooms upstairs to make the extra room but at the time, she figured it didn't matter much since she lived alone and X was the only one that ever spent the night.

"Oh my god this is so cool Nic!" Jeremy squealed taking in her collection. 

"Dang Haughtpants, you've really upped your nerd game since you were a kid. And here I was thinking you were all cool and sexy." Wynonna headed towards the large glass display case that housed her most valuable items on unsteady legs. Although she had sober some on the drive home, she was still more buzzed than she would care to admit and Nicole was not willing to take any chances. "Wynonna don'tcha dare touch anythin’ in that case. It's contents are worth more than ya life and if anythin’ in there gets damaged, you will be paying with it." Nicole warned. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a wad. I'll do my very best to leave things as I found them." The older girl joked, her face close enough to the protective glass to cause it to fog.

"I will seriously murder ya and bury ya under the porch I'm currently buildin'." Nicole was not joking. She could see Waverly out of the corner of her eye trying not to laugh and it made the corner of her mouth tick upwards just the slightest bit, causing a crack in her seriousness.

"Jeez fine, I'm hungry anyway let's eat, then you can give us a tour of the new set up, also I think we can all use a shower. We gotta get this river stank off us. I hope you have some spare clothes for us or else I’ma be running around in my birthday suit and as much as I believe everyone would love that, I’d really prefer not too. And after that I do believe I was promised a bonfire, some s'mores and some more booze." Nicole shook her head smiling all the while. Even if Wynonna was a bit much, she had to admit she actually did miss her as well, snark and all. It was crazy having such a big part of her childhood and adolescence stomp back into her life after so many years and immediately feeling more at home than she had since she left.

The gang ate their pizza off Nicole’s disposable kitchenware in relative peace, topping it off with a couple more beers. Nicole hopped in the shower first so she could set up the fire while everyone else was getting cleaned up. X took the smaller spare bathroom downstairs. She heard Wynonna snickering to Waverly as she walked to the upstairs bathroom. “Damn Baby Girl, you’ve been so far up her ass all day, I thought for sure you’d jump in the shower with her.” Nicole let out a quiet laugh, relieved that Waverly’s flirting wasn’t just in her head and the person closest to the young brunette was also noticing it.

“Shut up Wy, I just really missed her is all. I honestly never thought I’d see her again.” The statement made Nicole’s heart ache. After her last visit to the homestead, she thought the same about Waverly, but she had never been so glad to be wrong in her entire life. She was getting a second chance and she was going to make it count this time around.

***  
Waverly

When Nicole threw some clothes at the Earps, following her shower, Waverly almost lost any semblance of self control she had left. Her hair was still slightly tousled and damp, she was in an old band shirt with the sleeves ripped off that stopped a hair above the loose basketball shorts she had sitting a bit too low on her hips, exposing the thick band of her boxer briefs. The sight had Waverly practically salivating, how could someone look so good in something so casual, it really was completely unfair. Even with the mild sunburn she was sporting, Nicole was still effortlessly attractive. “Here’s some clothes. Sorry if they're little big Waves it’s all I got. If you two want to shower, I think X and Jer are out now too. I’ll meet you out back in a few.” Nicole said, nonchalantly making her way into the kitchen.

“Hey Waves, I think you dropped something.” her sister broke her gawking session. 

“Huh? What are you on about Wy?” Waverly questioned innocently, still staring unabashedly at Nicole

“Your jaw kid. You better pick it up before it gets too dirty. I mean yeah she’s Haught and all but god damn, get it together. You’re embarrassing me.” the older Earp affirmed making her way upstairs.

Waverly finished her shower and dressed in the oversized, well worn Sabbath t-shirt and sweatpants Nicole gave her, rolling the waist and legs a couple times to fit better. When she got back downstairs the living room was empty, but she heard voices coming from the otherside of the large glass sliding doors that lead from the kitchen to the back yard. “Yo Haught Sauce, I hope you don’t mind, I invited Rosita over since neither you or Dolls are interested in what I’m putting out.” Wynonna stated, squinting at Dolls, currently having an in depth conversation with Jeremy.

“First off, it may be the alcohol speaking, but no I do not mind, so long as she’s chill. And second, I do apologize for my lack of interest, but as you are already aware, you most definitely are not the Earp I am interested in.” She shot a wink at the younger Earp standing in the opening of the sliding glass doors. Waverly’s heart fluttered at Nicole’s admission, a deep crimson tinted her cheeks. She walked through the door and their eyes locked. “Excuse me Miss Haught, but might I be so bold to assume that I am the Earp you are interested in?” Waverly questioned, mimicking Nicole’s words from earlier in the day.

“I s'ppose you just might be, Miss Earp.” Waverly made her way to the group and sat in Nicole’s lap, grabbed the beer right out of her hand, and took a swig.

Wynonna excused herself a few minutes later when Rosita texted that she was there. Almost half an hour passed, before Nicole was about to go make sure she wasn't getting into trouble, when the older brunette waltzed back out the doors, hands behind her back, a shit eating grin on her face, and a very flushed, very attractive woman hot on her heels.

"Well you look… satisfied." Nicole laughed, "You best not gotten into nothing." She warned, sitting up a bit, shifting Waverly slightly from her current position. The younger girl briefly gripped the back of Nicole's neck with the movement, but allowed her hand to settle there to play with the baby hairs at the base of her skull.

"Oh come on now little Haughtpants, who do you think I am?" Her smile grew as she slowly removed her hand from behind her back. 

Waverly shot her a warning look. "Wynonna I swear to god-" Her words caught in her throat, expecting something completely different than what her sister was actually holding. "Nic! Seriously?" She scolded. Truthfully, she wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting, but the blue and green, swirly bong her sister pulled out definitely wasn’t it.

Nicole shrugged her shoulders completely unfazed. "What? It's legal now. It ain’t like I'm breaking any laws. Plus, my doctor recommended it since it helps with my anxiety. I'm not even on any pharmaceuticals since I took it up in my junior year. My ma was kinda mad at first but once my therapist talked to her, we got my medical card and I’ve been doing it ever since. Also it's the only thing X does so sometimes it's nice to just vibe together." Waverly was a little stunned more than anything. It wasn't like she'd never experimented before, she was in college up until recently. It was more the fact that her sweet, innocent, "I'll never touch drugs in my life", Nicole was now maybe a little bit of a stoner. 

"Who would have guessed that straight edge Nic would have gotten wrapped up in recreational drugs." Wynonna snickered. "But seriously, chill Waves, it's just weed. Stop acting like you've never done it." Nicole looked and the girl on her lap with a knowing smirk and Waverly went a little red for the millionth time today.

"So ya'll tryna smoke or what?" Nicole asked the group. 

"Oh fuck yeah, Tater Haught! I thought you'd never ask!" Yup, that was about the reaction Waverly was expecting from her sister. She looked down at the woman who until today had just been a memory, yet now was a person she couldn’t imagine ever being without again. There was no expectation in her eyes, the choice was ultimately her own and she knew Nicole would respect whatever she decided. With the redhead looking at her like that though, she was finding it increasingly difficult to abstain. 

"What the heck. I'm in." Waverly sighed. Nicole looked at her through intense brown eyes only magnified by the bright orange glow of the fire, full dimpled smile lighting up her face. Well things are about to get all sorts of interesting, she suspected.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to 2003 January to July. The girls get into a bit of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally have no idea what I'm doing anymore. Is this even a cohesive story? Oh well. This is what you get this week. I actually edited this sober for the first time in weeks, so hopefully it is better. If not, we'll know my level of sobriety makes zero impact on my writing and editing abilities. Enjoy and if you don't, don't tell me, I don't need that negativity in my life.

January-July 2003

Waverly

Waverly had known she was going to be moved up a grade before winter break had even started. Wynonna had forged their mama's signature, authorizing the change. She figured her mama probably didn't even know what grade she was in anyway so what did it matter. Wynonna was as excited for the change as much as she was, saying that was one less year they had to spend in that shit hole. Waverly was much less concerned about all that and much more concerned that she would be in Nicole's third grade class, come the end of break. 

Waverly's planned surprise was thrown for a loop when Nicole responded with "chicken butt" to her "guess what" instead of the normal "what" like a normal person would have said. "What?" Waverly questioned.

"What, what?" Nicole responded, still thoroughly confused as to what was going on. 

"I asked you first, weirdo." Waverly smiled.

Nicole cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy, ignoring the looks of her classmates that started filling into the room. "Well shit if I know. I ain't even know what's goin' on 99% of the time. What  _ is _ goin' on? Why are ya in my class Wave?"

Waverly went on to explain the situation and how she ended up skipping a grade halfway through the school year. By the time the teacher was quieting the kids down Nicole had taken the seat next to Waverly, giving her her original spot and accepting whatever miracle had landed Waverly in her class.

***

Things had been going smoothly for the two girls over the past five months. With each other to lean on, their group counseling sessions had been decreased to once weekly, giving them more time to do whatever their young hearts desired. The cold Purgatory winter behind them they spent more time than ever exploring the wooded area that separated the homestead from the Haught property, which was equally massive in it’s own right. Nicole would bike over to the Earps and her and Waverly would spend all day riding around and finding new areas to explore. On occasion if Wynonna was feeling bored or Doc was busy, she would join them on their adventures. Most of the time she was more interested in lazing around Nicole’s house and eating all the snacks they had than she was in actually playing with them.

Early July rolled around, and the girls were nearing their final weeks of the third grade. Their regular Friday session of therapy had been canceled for the week so they decided to spend their Friday riding around on Nicole’s bike. She had even fashioned a makeshift seat on the back so the younger girl didn’t have to ride on the handlebars anymore. Waverly still didn’t have one of her own, but Nicole had slowly been teaching her how to ride on her own. Nicole’s bike was a little too big and a little too heavy, but Waverly was gradually getting the hang of it. The brunette was hoping Willa might somehow acquire some semblance of a heart and give her her old bike when she decided she no longer wanted to be seen riding around town on a bicycle, but instead she had her boyfriend Bobo haul it to the dump so no one would ever get any more use out of it. She should have known better than to think Willa would have any sort of compassion in her empty heart. So instead, she continued riding on Nicole’s and hoping by some miracle she could get her own come her birthday in a couple months.

During their adventures the friends had come across an old beat to hell treehouse on the outskirts of the Haught property. The wood was old and creaked under their weight as they stepped inside for the first time. “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.” Young Waverly whispered as they took in the rundown thing. The smile that graced Nicole’s face, Waverly had only seen a handful of times. They had quickly made it their “secret hideout” and proceeded to sneakily move an array of Nicole’s comics, Waverly’s books and sleeping bags and pillows out there, in an old wagon Nicole had fashioned to the back of her bike. They had been hanging out at the treehouse everly day, since they found it. It was quiet and peaceful, the only sounds coming from the birds and the wind catching in the trees that surrounded them. Occasionally, they would catch a wolf howl in the distance and Waverly would get spooked for just a moment before relaxing back into the older girl next to her. She was strong and brave and with her by her side, Waverly felt like she could take on the world. Nicole would protect her. They would protect each other. 

Now, with only two weeks left in school, and no group session, the girls took full advantage of their free day. Nicole’s mom had picked them up from school, as she had been over the past several months and they enjoyed an afternoon snack before heading to their hideout. Nicole’s mom didn’t seem to mind them being out alone on their property, as long as the girls were back before sundown and didn’t get into too much trouble. Times were different back then, easier, safer. 

Nicole biked them out to the treehouse, where they spent the remainder of the afternoon playing card games and reading the last book they had been assigned for the year; Where the Red Fern Grows. They sat huddled together, backs to the wall, heavy sleeping bags and blankets surrounding them in a plush pile on the floor. A summer storm had come through dropping the evening temperature just enough to bring a cool summer breeze. The soft patter of rain filled the treehouse as Waverly read the last chapter aloud, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

***

Nicole

Nicole openly cried, head in the younger girl’s lap, as Waverly finished the final chapter of the book. Why anyone thought having 3rd graders read that book was a good idea was beyond her. The general violence and gruesomeness was unlike anything she had ever read. It shook her to the core and whether it was from the theme of learning to cope with death and loss or the fact that the dogs reminded her of her own relationship to Waverly, seeing as she figured she’d probably also die of a broken heart if anything were to happen to the younger girl. They were bonded now and she couldn’t imagine a life without her in it, would even be worth living. Nicole silently contemplated everything that had happened in the last year and every single thing that had led them to each other. Yes, they would have likely met even without the events of their parents' deaths, but would they even be the same people they are now? Would Nicole have grown so fond of this young girl so quickly if she didn’t need someone to lean on so badly? She liked to think she would, but she supposed it didn’t really matter much now. They were where they were and there weren’t no changing it now anyway.

Nicole woke to the sound of thunder blasting around them, the faint sound of someone yelling her and Waverly’s names breaking through the aggressive downpour that had started outside. The roof was leaking a bit and their blankets were starting to get wet. She tried to rub the sleep and tears from her eyes, but everything was dark and she could barely make out her hand in front of her face. What time was it even, she thought, wondering just how long they had been out there. She gently nudged Waverly from her spot curled into her side trying to wake her up as well. Whatever time it was, the sun had gone down and she was sure her mom and Wynonna were going to be livid. “Come on Waves, get up we overslept and we gonna be in a heap of trouble if we don’t get a move on right now.” the red head coaxed. Waverly grumbled a few times before opening her eyes and jolting up, hitting her head firmly on Nicole’s chin. Nicole grumbled at the contact. It wasn’t the hardest she’d ever been hit but the unexpectedness of the impact took her by surprise. “Shit Waves! Are ya ok? Ya hit my chin pretty good there.”

“Ow” Waverly mumbled, rubbing the top of her head . “Yeah I might have a knot but I’m good. What time is it? I guess we kind of overslept huh?” Waverly stood up to look out the dirty window and better access the situation. 

“Ya think?” Nicole questioned, voice laced with sarcasm. “My ma is gonna kill me. We gotta go.” She whined, standing to join Waverly by the window.

Waverly let out a snort. “Nic if you seriously think we are leaving anywhere right now, you are out of your fudging mind. There is a thunderstorm ragging out there and we can barely see a few meters in front of us. How the cow do you expect us to get home right now?” she questioned.

Nicole thought about their situation for a second, actually taking in their current predicament. Her eyes were wild and for the first time, she was glad Waverly couldn’t see them. “Well shit if I know Waves!” she was starting to panic. “I jus’ know we gotta go! I ain’t even care if we get all wet! Is jus’ water!” Nicole’s whole body was shaking as her breathing increased. Was her vision going black or was it just the dark. “My ma is gotta be so worried. She pro’ly thinks somethin’ happened to us! I can’t worry her no more Waves! She’s done enough worryin’ already!” She panted, pacing back and forth in the small treehouse, trying to think up a plan to get them home safely. Realistically she knew Waverly was right. If she were alone she would have considered riding home in the storm a bit more seriously, but with the younger girl in tow there was no way she’d be so willing to take the risk. She may not have valued her own safety much, but Waverly’s meant the world to her. 

She didn’t have to think much more about it because the sound of Wynonna’s yelling broke through the loud pounding of rain surrounding them. “Waverly! Nicole! God fucking damn it! Where the fuck are you little assholes!” She screamed through the rain. 

“Wynonna?” Nicole gasped. She stumbled back to the window beside Waverly to see the faint beam from a flashlight breaking through the dark. The girls yelled after her, but she didn’t seem to hear. Nicole grabbed her backpack and fished out her keychain, hoping the small flashlight she had on there still worked. She let out a breath of relief as a dim yellow light projected through it. Hoping to gain the older girls attention before the battery died out, she flashed it out the window a few times . Luckily, it appeared Wynonna caught a glimpse just before the light went black. Wynonna pointed her light towards them illuminating two scared little faces in the busted up old treehouse.

Fourteen year old Wynonna stood in front of the fidgeting younger girls, dripping wet and exasperated. “What in god’s name are you two idiots doing up here!” she huffed, out of breath and exhausted from her search. “We have been looking to you all fucking night. Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?!” Fear seeped through gritted teeth, she was trying not to lose her temper. Had she not been drenched to the bone, the younger girls might have noticed the tears falling from her eyes sooner. Instead, they cowered at the abrasiveness in her tone. The only other time Nicole had heard fear soak through someone's voice like that was the day of the accident, when her ma rushed into Nicole’s hospital room, tears flooding her eyes.

She wanted it to stop, to make her not worry, to make her not be scared anymore. That feeling of fear and loss was too familiar. It lived, embedded deep in her bones since that fateful night. A wave of guilt washed over her, this was her fault, she’d led Waverly out here, she’d take the blame, she’d fix this. “I’m so sorry Wy. This is all my fault. I fell asleep and I should have been watchin’ her better. I was jus’ so tired and they made us read that stupid book and it made me real sad and zapped all my energy right out of me. And I closed ma eyes for a second and next thing I heard was thunder, an’ rain, an’ it was dark as shit, an’ I couldn’t barely see my hand in front of my face, an’ I darn well couldn’t drag Waves out in the middle of this. I didn’t want her to get hurt or nothin’. I jus’ want to keep her safe.” Waverly had taken to hiding behind Nicole once her sister made her way up the ladder, afraid of whatever trouble she was in.

She could feel Nicole trembling through her grip on the back of her shirt. “Nic, we both fell asleep, it was both our faults.” she reasoned, in an attempt at calming her friend. 

Wynonna sighed in defeat and Nicole felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Come on ya rascals. The storm is dying down. We need to get home before it picks back up. Haught, I’m gonna warn you now, your mom ain’t gonna be thrilled with you when you get back, but she’ll still be relieved to have you safely home. Just take whatever punishment she dishes out without argument and give all the apologies and I think you’ll be alright.” Nicole nodded and followed Wynonna and Waverly down the ladder to start the trek home.

When the girls arrived back at the Haught house, it was closing in on midnight. Kelly was sitting outside in the soft glow of the porch light. A look of relief flickered past her face before being replaced by an unreadable expression that put more fear into Nicole than she cared to admit. After Wynonna explained where and how she found the girls, the elder Haught drove the Earp girls home in silence. She dropped them off at the empty homestead, and drove Nicole and herself home before addressing her daughter completely.

Nicole had all but tuned out her mom’s rant, somewhere along the way she caught the words “not angry just scared.” When it was all said and done, she was awarded with a week of grounding and was sent upstairs for a warm shower before her mom tucked her into bed for the night. I could have been worse she guessed, all things considered she got off pretty unscathed. She would do her time then she could spend the remainder of her summer with her best friend. Little did she know her mom had other plans for her break.

***

Waverly

Whether fortunate or not, young Waverly only had her older sister to answer to when it came to her whereabouts over the past several hours. Waverly had pleaded with her sister not to be mad at Nicole since it was a combined effort that put them in that situation. Wynonna huffed and puffed, but ultimately resigned herself in the fact that it was indeed neither of the girls fault and they were never in any real danger. Now that their hideout had been found out, at least the older girl would know the first place to search in the event that they ever went missing again. Wynonna was well aware that she was not her younger sister's parent, but she did her very best to keep her safe and happy and she felt like she failed her in that today. She ran a bath for her sister and held her close when she crawled into her bed, sniffling quiet apologies into her chest as she drifted off to sleep. 

Waverly woke early the following morning wrapped in the warmth of her older sister’s embrace. Her head hurt from crying and her eyes were all dried out. She was worried about Nicole, her mom was frighteningly quiet during the drive back to the homestead and it made her all the more nervous. She hoped she wasn’t in too much trouble. Her own guardian, or closest thing she had, seemed to forgive her maybe a little too quickly, with no real consequences for her actions. Wynonna told her it seemed like she learned her lesson so there wasn’t any real reason for additional punishment. Who was she to punish her anyway?

Waverly rolled out of bed, doing her best to not wake her older sister and made her way downstairs to the kitchen phone to check on Nicole. Unfortunately, her route was interrupted by a shirtless visitor rifling through her refrigerator. She screamed in surprise, causing him to hit his head on one of the shelves. Wynonna was down the stairs in the blink of an eye, shotgun in hand, ready to take on whatever or whomever was causing her baby sister distress. “What? What is it, Waves?” Wynonna huffed rounding the corner, sliding into the kitchen, dropping the gun to the side as she made sense of the situation. “Oh, Julian it’s just you… What are you doing here? You guys never spend the night here? I almost shot the shit out of you dude.” Julian shifted, looking somewhat uncomfortable standing in front of two young girls in nothing but a pair of boxers.

“I uh, I just do what your mama tells me to and she said she wanted to come home for the night. I was just looking for something to eat, but it looks like pretty slim pickings here.” He said holding up the near empty carton of milk.

Waverly looked at him through squinted eyes, trying to gauge his sincerity. In the couple months that they had know him, Julian had seemed pretty nice, and a lot dumb. He followed their mama around like a lost puppy, giving into her every whim. Waverly figured he’d probably jump off a bridge if she asked him too. 

“Yeah well, Mama hasn’t gone grocery shopping in a few weeks and she hasn’t given us any money to do it on our own so that’s what you get. If you got a problem with it, bring it up with her selfish ass.” Wynonna shot.

“Oh, do you guys need me to get you groceries? I’m going to the store later, I can pick up whatever you need, just make me a list and I’ll bring it by later today.” Julian offered. 

The sisters gave each other a confused look. Why was this guy being so darn nice to them when their own mama couldn’t give a damn if they went hungry another day. Wynonna was the first to speak, always sceptical of the kindness of strangers. “We don’t need shit from you, dude. Why don’t you do what you do best and fuck off to our neglectful mother. I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.” Julian seemed disheartened, as he turned and sulked back to their mama’s room without another word.

Waverly turned to look at her sister, still standing with the shotgun hanging from her arm. “Wy, why did you tell him that?” she questioned. “You know Mama hasn’t got us groceries in weeks. We’re down to the scraps.”

The older girl sighed, “I know Baby Girl. I just don’t know what his deal is and I really don’t want to owe him anything. Everyone wants something and no one does anything out of the kindness of their hearts.” She said giving Waverly a sad smile.

A flash of red skirted through her mind, “Nicole does” she thought. Nicole was kind and good, and selfless, but maybe she was the exception and not the rule. 

***

Nicole's mom had informed Waverly that she was grounded for the next week when she called to check in on her and she could only talk to her at school until then. When Monday morning finally rolled around, it felt like it had been an eternity since she had talked to Nicole. In reality it had only been a little over 48 hours. She timidly walked into her third grade class hoping to talk to her friend prior to class starting and spotted Nicole’s trademark stetson and hunched shoulders straight away. Her hat almost comically fit in with the rest of her outfit of a NBA basketball jersey, cut jean shorts and slide sandals with white calf high socks underneath. She wondered what Nicole was thinking every time she got dressed, she was so awkward and weird, but she was hers and she loved her as much as an eight year old could love someone. 

Nicole explained what happened after they took them home late that night. She was basically on house arrest for the next five days, no toys, video games or comics. She had gotten so bored that she even started reading one of her dad’s old auto repair manuals, which she actually found pretty interesting. 

They jumped back into their normal school routine without struggle and given that they were creeping in on their last few days before break, everyone was fairly relaxed. But, by the end of the day when Nicole started acting shifty and fidgety again, Waverly knew something was up. “Nic, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird since lunch.” She asked as they rode the bus home. The homestead and Haught property were only separated by a few acres so unless Nicole’s mom picked them up they typically rode home together.

Nicole looked down at her hands, wringing them together roughly. “I uh… um… well uh you gotta promise not to be mad kay.” She refused to make eye contact with the brunette.

Waverly gave her a sceptical look, arching one eyebrow in confusion, her tiny heart aching at Nicole’s worry. “Yeah sure Nic, I’m honestly not even sure could ever get mad at you if we’re being real. Just tell me. It’s obviously bothering you.”

Nicole nodded in agreeance, it’s not like she could have resisted her anyway. “Well, ya see the thing is, I know summer break is comin’ up and I know we promised to hang out and loaf around together but my ma… my ma is sendin’ me back to Arizona to go road trippin’ with my uncle Sam. He ain’t got no family ‘cept us and seein’ as how he and I are buds he and my ma figured it would be some fun “bondin” time. An’ I really do love him and spendin’ time together, an he said he was gonna take me to see the Grand Canyon...” 

Waverly looked at her with a hint of sadness in her soft hazel eyes. Her birthday was only days before break ended. Would Nicole be back in time? Her heart clinched at the thought of spending another birthday with just her and Wynonna. No party, no gifts, only the shady birthday cake Wynonna tried to make for her every year as far back as she could remember. Her older sister did what she could, and she loved her for it, but she wanted Nicole too and felt a tinge of selfishness for thinking it. “It’s okay Nicole.” She sighed, trying not to seem too disheartened. 

“Don’t worry though” Nicole followed up, trying to quell some of her worry “Ma said I will for sure be back before your birthday so we can have a party or do whatever it is you want to do. Maybe I can even get ya a gift or two from the states.” Nicole gave her a pleading smile.

Relief ran through her veins like jumping into a cool lake on a hot day. She’ll be back, that’s all that mattered. As much as Waverly hated the fact that Nicole would be gone most of the break, she understood and figured she likely didn't’ have much choice being a kid and all. She reconciled with the fact that she was going regardless and at least she would be back for her birthday. She had also recently made friends with Chrissy Nedley since she had been moved up a grade so at least she could hang out with her, instead of bothering Wynonna and Doc their entire vacation. Waverly put her best smile on and responded the only way she knew how “I’m gonna miss you bunches Nic, but I hope you have fun. It sounds like you and your uncle are in for quite the adventure, huh?”

“Well I s’pose we are. I ain’t too sure it’s gonna be one I enjoy much without you though.” She smiled, showing off her dimples and laying on the signature Haught charm.

Waverly blushed a bit and shoved her friend’s arm, not really sure why she was feeling whatever it was that she was feeling when Nicole smirked at her. It must be love, the same type of love she felt for Wynonna. The school bus slowed to a stop before she continued. “Shut up and get off the bus before you miss your stop and you have to walk back home from my house.” she huffed, trying to play off the flush she was feeling. 

Nicole stood from her seat next to Waverly and headed down the aisle. “Anything you want, Waverly Earp.” She stopped just short of the exit to turn and speak. “I’ll see ya at school tomorrow, yeah?” 

“Yeah of course. I haven’t missed a day in my life and don’t plan on starting now. Bye Nic, see you later.” 

“Catcha later Lil Bean.” Nicole responded, giving a mock salute as she made her way off the bus.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright ya animals, this is the crossfaded shenanigans chapter and things start to get a little spicy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have good news and I have bad news,  
> the good news it that this is the longest chapter to date coming in around 6700 words!  
> the bad news is the at the end note.  
> As always comments and kudos are always appreciated, as I feed off validation.

Nicole July 7th 19

Nicole awoke late Sunday morning, with a pounding in her head, her mouth was dry and sticky and she felt like a ton of bricks was sitting on her chest, her very bare chest. Wait why was she shirtless? Her eyes shot open, but she dared not move, noticing a mess of light brown hair sprawled across her front, in what looked like a halo. One Waverly Earp, was draped completely across her body in nothing but a pair of Nicole's boxers. Her face was smothered into her neck, one arm gently gripping the side of her chest, her thumb brushing the side of Nicole's breast. A toned leg had settled between Nicole's own, pushing against her center as she nuzzled tighter against her. Nicole inhaled sharply, willing her heartbeat to slow as she recalled the night's events with a slow smile creeping its way onto her face. Well shit, from what she could remember, it had been quite the day indeed. 

***

It was late now, midnight, maybe later Nicole wasn't sure. Time skipped in and out. She was somewhere one second and then somewhere completely different the next. Drugs were funny like that, the way they could warp time and reality. She lay in the thick grass next to the fire pit, staring up at the stars with Waverly cuddled into her side. The younger girl had crawled on top of her after an uncontrollable laughing fit sent them tumbling off their chair and onto the ground beneath them. She breathed in the smell of the dirt and the grass, and the fire, but mostly she turned and breathed in the brunette beside her. Sandalwood and wildflowers, even through the hint of her shampoo, it was still noticeable. Nicole wondered if it was just Waverly's natural scent at this point. As far back as she could remember, it was a smell unique to her. She inhaled deeply and let out a heavy sigh, not even the stars could compare to the beauty and complexity she held next to her. Never in a million years, did she think this was how she'd be ending her night. Time stood still as she stared deep into hazel eyes, still vibrant even through the daze of their high. She felt like everything she had been searching for in life was finally falling into place and in that moment, everything was perfect.

Wynonna's obtrusive voice brought her back down to earth. "Yo, Nicky Pants! I'm hungry. Feed me snacks!" 

Nicole looked up slightly and laughed at the new nickname. "Uh don't you mean Haught Pants?" She questioned. "No one even calls me Nicky 'cept my ma. Plus we jus’ ate a bunch of mega giant s’mores, not even five minutes ago. I think you still got smarshmello on your chin." Rosita chuckled beside her and the tips of Wynonna’s ears went red, as she aggressively rubbed at her face in an attempt to clean in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just bring me some more snacks, I’m high as fuck and got the munchies." The older woman ordered, but recoiled a bit when Waverly gave her a scolding, mind your manners look.

Rosita slapped her arm. "God Earp, have some damn manners would you."

“My god woman! I am sensitive” She whined. Rosita shot her a “don’t even” look that shut her right up, sighing slightly before responding. "Fine, please bring me snacks Ms. Nicole Haught, ma'am." 

Nicole and Waverly were snickering at the exchange. The fact that Rosita so easily subdued the infamous wild child was not lost on them. Wynonna grumbled something unintelligible, prompting Nicole to have mercy on her. "Jus' go raid the kitchen, Wy. I'm kinda landlocked right now. I don't think I can move even if I wanted to. I'm not positive, but I think... my legs... may have turned into... noodles." The lazy smile on Nicole's face spread when she felt Waverly silently laughing beside her. 

"Alright, but you can’t be upset when I eat you out of house and home, noodle legs. Come on." Wynonna got up, a mischievous smirk on her face as she took Rosita by the hand in an odd display of public affection.

A thought flashed through her foggy brain and her eyes went wide. "Wy, don'tcha dare have sex in my kitchen! I'm the only one allowed to do that!" She shouted at the couple, now briskly skipping away from her in a giggling fit. Hugging Waverly a little tighter, she sighed. "They're totally gonna fuck in there, aren't they?" 

"Oh 100 percent. Hopefully they'll bring some snacks when they come back though." Waverly laughed.

"Snacks!" X and Jeremy shouted together before bursting into laughter. 

It was safe to say everyone was pleasantly high, even straight edge Jeremy. He protested for exactly ten seconds, before X told him it would be fun to do together and he melted like butter. Nicole was sure the entire group could tell he was developing a very big and very gay crush on her step brother, but X didn't seem to mind and was even seemingly egging it on. She'd have to unpack that some other time if she remembered. It was certainly a new development and her mind was too foggy to comprehend what was actually going on there.

Wynonna waltzed back outside 20 minutes later with an assortment of chips, cookies and gummy worms piled high in her arms. Rosita was close behind carrying a single open bag of tortilla chips like her life depended on it. Nicole looked up at them from her spot on the grass curiously. "Nice. You really did raid the place. Why you holding them chips like a newborn though?" She finally sat up and cocked an eyebrow towards Rosita. Waverly untangled herself with a small whine in complaint, but sat up with her, still sticking close beside her. 

"Well _,_ _someone_ wanted nachos and we only found one small bowl in your pantry so _she_ improvised. " Rosita nodded her head at the older brunette, "Anyways, now I have a hot bag of nachos burning my arms. She might murder me if I drop them so I'd rather be safe than sorry." 

"Well maybe if  _ someone _ had actual kitchenware, we wouldn't be in this predicament." Wynonna complained. "Why don't you have more stuff Haught? You moved in months ago right? What's the deal?"

X gave her a knowing look, trying to hold in his laughter, remembering they had already had this conversation earlier in the day. "Yeah Nic, why don't you inform the group as to why you only have like a single bowl and plate." He snickered.

All eyes on her, she scowled at her stepbrother before stammering out the best excuse her jumbled mind could produce, "Well, uh, ya see, the thing is, I don't really see the need when I live alone." If she was thinking her half assed answer was going to get Xavier off her ass about it, she was wrong.

"And?" Xavier pushed 

Knowing he wasn’t going to let up, she sighed and carried on. "And when I have company it's not like they're here for dinner. And if we do eat, we usually eat out." Her entire face lit up to match her hair at the realization of what she just said. “Shit that’s not, that’s not what I meant and you assholes know it!” The entire group erupted into laughter, minus one small brunette that was looking at her with an unreadable expression. 

"You been eating out much, Haught Plate?" Wynonna got out through her fit of giggles.

Maybe, just maybe if her brain wasn't so hazy from the crossfade of booze and weed she may have considered her words a little more carefully before they spewed from her mouth. “I mean I do live alone and I like to have options.” She shrugged. Unfortunately for her, somewhere during the night her brain to mouth filter slowly started to vanish and she had started to say the first thing that came to mind. “I might dare even consider myself Purgatory’s most eligible bachelor.” She felt Waverly’s glare, prior to seeing it and her nails were digging painfully into Nicole’s forearm. It seemed too late, but she tried to save herself and change course. “I didn’t… shit,... I didn’t mean it like that… I was jus’ meant... I’ve been single for like almost a year now and I kinda missed out on all the youthful gay shenannagans since Shae and I got together when I was still so young. Nothin’ was really super serious since, but it ain’t like I had been looking too hard neither. Lots of the girls actually approached me first, and I ain’t never been one to turn down a good thing. I was mostly jus’ havin’ some fun and figured if I was vibing I’d try to explore it some more. Ya can’t c’pect me to be celibate until I find the one, I am a grown ass woman and I have needs.” She cringed, hearing the last of what she just said. Why the hell couldn’t she shut her damn mouth. She could hear the snickers of the group and suddenly felt her heartbeat speed up and her world started closing in around her. She just fucked possibly the one chance she would ever have with Waverly, considering she basically admitted to sleeping around with damn near every girl she met. Now, she was on the verge of a panic attack because of it. Nicole felt like she was suffocating so she pulled her shirt off her body and balled it in her hand, trying to get some sort of relief. “I jus’ need a sec, guys, I’ll be back right back.” She felt Waverly’s hands loosen their grip as she stood to get some air and hopefully calm her rampant thoughts. She dropped her cutoff shirt in the grass, feeling the cool night air against her skin as she made her way to the secluded area between her house and her garage. “Nicole, wait!” she heard faintly against the sound of her own heartbeat as she walked away to compose herself, but her hearing was usually the first thing to go when she slipped into a panic attack and she couldn’t quite process the words directed towards her.

Nicole pushed her bare back against the cool steel of the side of her garage, taking a deep breath in, in an attempt to steady herself. She pulled a joint out from behind her ear and lit it, relaxing as she took a few drags. Even though she was still somewhat high, the anxiety had sobered her significantly and the extra calming effects were almost instant. She inhaled deeply, slowly exhaling a large cloud of smoke into the night sky. 

A few minutes had passed and she had all but calmed down, when she heard rustling coming from around the corner. “Nicole? Are you back here?” Waverly timidly called out. The light from her phone dimly shone through the dark as she approached Nicole. “Hey Nic. I brought your shirt. You alright? Sorry ‘bout Wy. I know she was drilling you pretty hard out there.” Concerned filled the younger girl's voice as she took a cautious step into Nicole’s space. 

Nicole let out a choked laugh at Waverly’s phrasing, she definitely wasn’t in the right state of mind, but it was funny and she couldn’t help herself. “'Parently she ain't the only one that’s been drillin’ me lately.” Her laugh immediately turned into a grimace, hearing what she just said out loud. Waverly gave her an "are you done now" look. Seriously, why couldn’t she shut the fuck up. She looked down and sighed. "Man, I'm really fucking this up. I'ma jus' shut up now before I blow and semblance of a shot I had left with you." She said rubbing her hands roughly down her face.

She saw the edge of Waverly's mouth curl up just slightly at her last sentence. Maybe she hadn't ruined everything quite yet. "Nicole, look I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You kind of looked like you were about to have a panic attack."

Nicole huffed, raising an eyebrow at the younger girl. "Caught that, did you Lil Bean? I guess some things never change." A sad half smile on her face, she turned and looked at Waverly.

"Yeah I guess not." Waverly returned the look, but hidden underneath was something else Nicole couldn't fully make out. A shyness or hesitation of sorts. 

They stared at each other, in silence almost a second too long before Waverly stepped closer. Taking Nicole's hand in her own, she finally said what she came to say. "Nicole, it might just be me, and I might be crazy for thinking this so soon after being apart for so long, but I feel like there's something big here, between us I mean. And I really want to explore those feelings with you, if that’s what you want." She looked up meeting Nicole's eyes with that same look she gave her the day they met all those years ago. "I’ve never really done anything like this before and I just, I just need to know I'm not going to be another notch in your bedpost." Her voice cracked at the end, nervous energy pouring off her, tears threatening to fall against her will.

Nicole was all compassion and kindness as always. "Waverly, I would never. You know me better than that." Nicole gripped her hand a little firmer, trying to convey her feelings, feelings that she had been burying deep, since the day she realized she liked girls the same way most girls liked boys.

"That's the thing though, I really don't. It's been ten years Nicole. I'm not the same confused kid I was a decade ago and neither are you. We both grew up in our own ways and I don't know about you, but I know what I want now. I just want to make sure we're both on the same page before I do something I might regret." She said, looking down at their joined hands. 

Nicole's expression softened, she truly understood where Waverly was coming from. From everything she'd learned about her today, she knew this would be different and new for her, yet there she was putting herself out there and hoping for the best. Nicole gazed down at her, the light from the full moon illuminating her face. She brushed a stray hair behind Waverly's ear, and let her hand settle on her cheek. All the lingering feelings she had pushed down to the deepest parts of her were starting to bubble out, but with the way Waverly was looking at her she didn't much care to stop them. Her mind was clouded, whether it be from the weed or the alcohol, or Waverly's confession she couldn’t be sure. Her own words failed her so she picked up where Waverly left off gently tipping the brunette's chin so she would look at her. "We're on the same page, Waves. I'm pretty sure I've been on this page since I was 9 years old and I realized girls could like girls as more than friends, I'm glad you're finally catching up though.” The cocky smirk and wink that followed must have had a powerful effect on the younger girl, because the next thing she knew, Waverly’s hands reached behind her neck and pulled her down into a searing kiss. The softest pair of lips she’d ever felt crashed into her own in a force that slammed her back into the wall behind her. Nicole froze for a second before her mind caught up to the events at hand. It was everything she had imagined and more. So much more. She felt like she was going to explode from the sheer excitement of it all. Not wanting to spare an inch between them, she grabbed low on Waverly’s hips and pulled her close. It wasn’t enough though, all the years of unresolved feelings and sexual tension were taking hold in an almost uncontrollable frenzy. She wanted more, she wanted everything Waverly had to give and wanted to give her everything in return. They broke from the kiss briefly, chests heaving, eyes locked, trying to figure out what was happening. “Yeah?” Nicole questioned in a rush of clarity, not trying to push too far. 

“God yeah.” Pupils blown, Waverly nodded quickly, pulling Nicole back down to meet her lips, her tongue brushing Nicole’s lips in an attempt to gain entrance. The years of unresolved feelings seemed to short circuit her brain and she was running off sheer instinct. She growled into Waverly’s mouth, slid her hands down her ass, squeezing firmly before running them down the back of her thighs and lifting her up. Waverly let out a gasp at the action, but didn’t skip a beat. She locked her legs around her waist, as Nicole spun them around and pushed her back up against the wall roughly grinding her hips into Waverly. She moved her mouth down Waverly’s neck, biting and sucking as she went. Waverly’s nails dug into her bare shoulder blades at one particularly rough bite, causing her hips to buck against the smaller girl. “Fuck, Nic.” The brunette moaned and squeezed her legs tighter around midsection.

“Too much, Baby?” She husked into her ear, nipping at her ear lobe as she pulled away.

“Never.” Waverly panted, rocking her hips into Nicole. With one arm still holding Waverly firmly up against the wall, Nicole began to slide her other under the soft fabric of Waverly's borrowed shirt. Her skin was hot and soft and everything she’d ever imagined and more, but just as her fingertips graced the underside of Waverly's bare breast, one Wynonna fucking Earp came strutting over to interupt a moment that had taken decades to get to.

"Yo what are you two rascals- oh god my eyes! My sweet virgin eyes." Wynonna screeched with impeccable timing as always. Rosita stood next to her, a look of shock on her face, witnessing their compromising position. Startled, Nicole lost her grip on Waverly's thighs mid kiss, causing the younger girl to bite down harshly on her lower lip in surprise, as she was abruptly set back down. 

"Fuck! God damn it Wynonna!" She hissed, tasting a hint of copper in her mouth. She’d definitely broke the skin. Nicole brought her fingers to her mouth to access the damage, but through the dark night, with only the faint light still coming off of Waverly’s phone now on the ground next to them, it was hard to make out anything clearly.

Waverly was quick to fuss over her, countless apologies in tow. "Oh my god Nic, I'm so fudging sorry. I 1000 percent did not mean to do that so hard. Are you ok?" A dark blush had crept its way up Waverly's cheeks and ears, as she ran her thumb along Nicole's bottom lip to try and access the extent of her injury.

Not wanting to add to her guilt, she brushed it off like it was no big deal. "I'm good Waves. I'd let you bite me that hard any day of the week, if it meant I got to kiss ya like that again." She laughed. "Maybe jus' not the lip again, yeah? I kinda need them for things ya know."

Nodding, Waverly smiled looking up and Nicole through the dim light of the night sky. Nicole matched her look, a silent agreement that there'd be more to come.

"Yeah okay, enough of those googly eyes, Dolls said if I found you back here you'd show me your garage. As I seem to recall, you claim to have some pretty sweet rides in there." Realizing their moment together was over, Nicole let out a sigh and stepped back from Waverly, picking her shirt off the ground and pulling it over her head in a huff.

"Yeah okay fine, come on Earp, follow me. I'll show you what's up." She took Waverly's hand giving it a reassuring squeeze and led them into the workshop. 

Before she opened the door, she turned to Wynonna. "Wy, keep in mind some of the vehicles in here ain't mine, so please god, for the life of you, don't break anything. I’ve already got my hands full trya get everything done as is, I don’t need you adding more work to my load." 

"Yeah, yeah, sure Haught, whatever you say, just let us in will ya. I can feel them calling to me, in there." Leading them into the large open garage, Nicole sighed, praying Wynonna would have some sense of bodily control left over. The garage was bigger than her house and boasted a large enough area to fit 5 cars and a few motorcycles comfortably, as well as room enough for her other hobbies and projects. The bottom level looked like a pretty standard shop, but there was also a top area that housed a small office and loft area surrounded by large glass windows. Inside there were eight vehicles in total. Four motorcycles, two of which were under repair, a near perfect '67 Corvette Stingray convertible, a '66 Mustang with the engine sitting next to it, a busted up '69 Chevy Camaro, in desperate need of some tlc, and one fully restored 1993 turquoise blue, Chevy Silverado Z71 extended cab. "Haught damn, Haught! This setup is wild! I should start calling you Haught Rod instead of Haught Pants from now on." She said, stumbling her way to the line of bikes. She stopped at the two that didn't seem to be having repairs done and let out a low whistle. "Now if i'm not mistaken this here appears to be an Indian Scout," she threw a leg over the short bike and made herself at home, "an excellent bike, if i do say so myself. My real question is, what the fuck is that ancient thing you got sitting there?" A mint condition, antique 1920s Harley was the "thing" in question.

Nicole scoffed at the fact that Miss Motorcycle herself didn't know a work of art when she saw one. She released Waverly's hand and walked over to her second favorite thing in her shop. "This here is a fully restored, with almost all original parts might I add, 1920 Harley Davidson J- Model. It's actually the first full project my uncle Sam and I completed together and is worth probably around 50,000-60,000 dollars at this point.” Nicole boasted proudly, “We nearly rebuilt her from the ground up too. Found her in a junkyard when I turned 17, Sam bought her for me as a birthday present for 300 dollars. It was right after Waves and I stopped talking. I pretty went full gay disater and started drikin’ and partin’ all the time. My depression was in full swing and I even almost flunked out of school. Not like I was ever any good at it anyway, but still. I already knew some about auto mechanics from shop at school and reading some of my dad's old books, but Sam took me under his wing and essentially made me his apprentice. He owned his own custom and repair shop in Arizona and I worked with him there until I moved back up here with Shea awhile back. After everything happened a lot of his clients ended up jus' sending their stuff up here to me, rather than let my cousin Jenson work on them, even though he does a fine job and is a real nice guy." Wynonna stopped listening to Nicole's rant about halfway through, she was more focused on the Scout. She was sitting on it, rubbing the sides and pretending to ride it, complete with roaring engine noises and all. "You ma'am are a certified idiot. Now get off my bike before your dumb ass breaks something." Nicole laughed. 

"Fine, but only if you let me drive it sometime, since it appears to be yours and all" Wynonna sighed, hopping off the bike and almost tipping it over in the process. 

"God damn it Wynonna, be careful!” She cringed expecting both the brunette and the bike to go tumbling over. Luckily the much more sober Rosita was there to catch both the bike and her tumbling...girlfriend? Maybe girlfriend? Nicole didn't really know what was going on there. She seemed nice enough though so no harm no foul she supposed. 

She had no time to process it more though, because before she even realized it she had another drug induced time skip and was across the garage, standing in front of her turquoise blue Chevy, talking to Waverly. "Nic, this one is yours too isn’t it?" Nicole was so zoned out she missed the question and continued staring at the truck, dumb smile planted on her face, silent and unanswering. "Earth to Nicole! Are you in there or did all the weed and alcohol you consumed today melt your brain?"

She looked at Waverly with a dumb dimpled smile on her face. Taking in her words, but not quite processing what she was saying. Without even fully comprehending what she was doing, she leaned in and gave Waverly a slow, easy kiss. "Yer like real pretty and I like ya so much Waves." She blurted out, pulling back and ignoring the initial question. Waverly blushed with a smile breaking out against her will and stared back with a confused look, bringing Nicole somewhat back down to earth. "Uh, I, uh didn't catch the original question, I kinda time traveled for a sec there. What were you sayin'"?

Waverly laughed, "Well space cadet, I was just wondering if there was a reason you happened to have this exact truck in pristine condition sitting in your garage." Eyebrows arched in question, Waverly asked.

Nicole should have known her former best friend would notice something like that. It was the same truck they were driving when her life changed forever. And while there was a perfectly good explanation as to why she had it, she was not nearly in the right frame of mind to unpack everything right now. Nicole refused to look at her as she gave a half ass excuse. "I'm not sure what you're talkin’ about, it's just an old pickup. Not e'reythin' has to have some deeper meaning." She nodded, hopping the determination in her voice would get Waverly to back off. 

Waverly sighed, figuring that was probably all she was getting out of the redhead right then. "Fine Nic, but were going to have to talk about this eventually. Buying the same exact truck, down to the color is a little much, don't you think? Also this is a lot how the hell are you affording all of this? It’s kind of a lot." She said, gesturing around vaguely, raising an accusatory eyebrow at the redhead.

"Waves, I am too intoxicated and too gay to dive into all this right now. I promise I will tell you everything, but right now all I can think about is how soft your lips were and how bad I want to feel them on mine again.” Her eyes were glassy, but her smile was genuine and when Waverly stepped closer to pull her into another gentle kiss, she was still as surprised as the first time she’d done it. “Wow” It was the only word to form from her “empty box o’ rocks brain”, when Waverly pulled away, keeping her hands firmly planted on the back of Nicole’s neck.

“Get a room!” Wynonna shouted from the driver’s seat of the Corvette, she was not a second before pretending to drive, engine noises included. “You get your greasy mechanic hands off my beautiful innocent baby sister Haught!” Nicole could tell she was trying not to laugh, but was doing a horrible job, likely on account of how intoxicated she was. It made Nicole smile. As excited as she was to have Waverly back in her life, she was equally glad to have the wild and free older Earp by her side as well. 

“Damn it, Wy! Get the fuck out of that car! It ain’t even mine and I gotta ship back to its owner come Tuesday.” Wynonna was as irritating as always, but she had missed the two of them more than she realized and more than she had ever cared to admit. She rested her forehead against the smaller girl’s and sighed, feeling content for the first time in years. 

Waverly smiled and blinked up at her slowly. Nicole could see something manifesting in that big beautiful brain of hers. “What are ya thinking, beautiful? I can see the gears turning in there.” Nicole said with a hesitant smile, unsure if she was thinking something good or not. 

Waverly’s face lit up at the term of endearment, and she nuzzled into Nicole’s chest. “I was thinking, for the first time in her life, Wynonna is right. We should get a room. And by room, I mean your room, Nic. It is getting pretty late.”

A dimpled grin cemented over Nicole’s face, before panic settled over her like a thick fog. Waverly wanted her to take her to her room. What were her expectations? Was she tired or did she want more? It kind of sounded like maybe she wanted more. Was Nicole even ready for more? Making out was one thing, but they had only just rekindled their relationship. Not to mention the fact that they were both pretty far gone as far as their frame of mind went. She definitely didn’t want their first time to be a drunken/stoned regret fest. If they were going to go down this route she wanted to do it the right way. The way she had been planning since she was 14 years old. She would ask Waverly out on a nice date, and woo her with her undeniable charm. They would kiss at the front step to the homestead and Nicole would bid her goodnight like the god damned gentlewoman she was. She would ask her to be her girlfriend after their second date, because who was she kidding, she would have asked her on their first date, if she was sure she wouldn’t be putting too much pressure on her. Then, only after being together officially, for a few months, would they decide to take that step together, if that is what Waverly wanted. She deserved all that and more, not just some quick intoxicated fuck, Nicole thought. Her mind was racing with imagined scenarios of how the next few months of their lives would go. She had a blank expression on her face and was pretty sure she had completely left the atmosphere at this point.

“Nic?” No response, she just scrunched her face up, deep in thought. “Nicole? Are you in there? What’s wrong?” The comforting touch from Waverly’s hand on her cheek, snapped her out of her daze. How long had she been trapped in her mind? Also what was she even thinking about? It seemed so far away now, whatever it was. Waverly was here in front of her, looking at her like she was the fudge to her sunday and Nicole couldn’t help but smile again, her worries long forgotten.

“Nothing Waves. I’m good. Just got trapped in my head for a second there. I’m back now though. How ‘bout I lock up here and we head to bed. It’s been quite the day and I’m real tired too. Plus, I’m not too sure how much longer Wy can go before she does actually break somethin’ and my client will be awful mad if I don’t have that car headed back to him this week.” 

Nicole locked up and the gang headed back to the house. X and Jeremy had since put the fire out and passed out together on the living room floor. Nicole threw a couple of blankets at them before practically shoving Wynonna and Rosita into her childhood room turned guest room. Waverly followed her into her master bedroom, looking like she didn’t have a care in this world. Nicole on the other hand felt nervous and sweaty, unsure of what Waverly’s plan was. She shut the door behind them and started to mumble, “Waves we don’t got to do nothing but sle-” And then she was slammed into the door by a bruising kiss. Waverly’s hands were fire, they were everywhere all at once, tugging, pulling, feeling. They grazed the skin between Nicole’s shirt and shorts asking for permission before she proceeded. She couldn’t think anything other than the way Waverly’s hands felt hot against her skin. Scorching a trail everywhere they ventured. Nicole reached down and ripped the shirt over her head without a second thought. She wanted more, no, needed more. She was breathing harshly, willing her mind to catch up with how her body was reacting, but when Waverly's hand smoothed up the newly exposed expanse of skin to cup her bra clad breasts, her mind went completely blank. 

Waverly 

When Waverly woke the next morning, shirtless and in an unfamiliar bed, she had a mild fit of panic before finding and reading over the sticky note that Nicole had stuck to her forehead. "Waves I'm in the garage Breakfast N coffee downstairs -Nic. PS u should probably put some clothes on Pick whatevs Idk where the ones u had last night went" Waverly blushed at the last part, looking down at her very exposed chest. She groaned and rolled over stuffing her face in the pillow. It smelled distinctly like Nicole which wasn't helping to calm her building embarrassment. Bits and pieces of what had happened last came back to her in fuzzy flashbacks. After she and Nicole had made it up to the bedroom, she had ambushed the older girl with a confidence fueled by her compromised state of mind and earlier exchanges.

***

After Nicole removed her shirt, Waverly's own wasn't far behind. The only problem was she had forgotten wasn't wearing a bra like Nicole was, so she felt extremely exposed the second her bare breast touched the open air. Nicole faltered for a split second, before that damn smirk snuck to the side of her mouth, her dark, lust filled eyes, taking in the sight before her. Her lips parted, making way for the tip of her tongue to wet them as she bit down on her lower lip, and pulled her own sports bra, up and over her head in solidarity. 

Fuck it, Waverly thought pushing all her insecurities aside to bring Nicole's mouth back to her own. Their bare chests touched and she felt like she was on fire. She needed more, more skin, more Nicole, just more. She broke the kiss and pulled her baggy sweatpants down, kicking them to the side and leaving her in nothing but a pair of Nicole's boxers. Pupils blown, Nicole growled at the sight, tipping her head back before she lifted Waverly up, as she had already done twice today, and walked them to her king sized bed. But, instead of lying Waverly down she turned the tables, and sat, planting her down on her lap, giving her complete control of the situation. Nicole's hands had made their way up her back and her dull nails scratched gently between her shoulder blades, coaxing her down harder onto her. A shock of arousal shot through her entire body when she finally ground down roughly on Nicole's lap. It seemed to tether her back to reality though because not a half second later she was tensing up, and not in a good way. Shit, this was all going too fast. She'd barely just came out and here she was having the hottest makeout session of her life with the girl of her dreams, the very same day. Freaking shit balls, she was supposed to go out and maybe have a couple dates before she went this far with anyone. It was different with Nicole though, wasn't it. They'd known each other nearly their entire lives, even if they did spend almost a decade apart. Nicole felt good and safe and home, and exactly where she should be, she just wasn't sure if she was ready to take that next step after a day of drinking and smoking entirely too much for their own good. She wanted it to be a conscious decision on both ends, not clouded by muddy minds, and nostalgic hearts. Ever observant, Nicole must have sensed her hesitation, she pulled her lips away from Waverly’s neck and looked at her with concerned eyes. 

She was breathing heavily, but still managed to get her thoughts out through kiss swollen lips. "Waves? I, I think we should pro'ly slow down. I'm still pretty buzzed and I don't want our first time to be a mess of hazy memories. I kinda want to remember everything I'm gonna do to you… I mean, if that’s what ya want. I'm not assuming we're gonna have sex or nothin' once we're sober. There's no expectations." Her thumbs were rubbing nervous circles on Waverly's hips as she searched for the right words. "If tomorrow comes and you sober up and realize this was all a big mistake that's okay too. I get it. Not that I won’t be disappointed or nothing, but I just don’t want to put any sort of pressure on you. And my head is spinning and I never thought in a million years this would be how I was ending my day today and I really don’t wanna mess it up, cause I really like you. And I mean  _ like you, like you _ , not just regular like you. I don’t think I ever really stopped. But if this was just-” Waverly finally interrupted Nicole’s anxious rambling session with a soft kiss.

Breaking the kiss, she rested their foreheads together for a second, taking in a breath before speaking. “Nic please just shut up. I know it’s hard for you to get it through your thick skull, but I like you, like you too. I think I probably always have. I was just too dumb to realize it when we were kids.” Nicole looked up at her with soft brown eyes, full of understanding and patience and Waverly knew there was no way she’d ever let her go again. “I think you’re right though, I don’t think drunken, high sex would be the best way to start any relationship. How ‘bout you put a movie on, and we can cuddle and maybe make out a bit more before we fall asleep. I am not putting my shirt back on though, and neither are you.” She pecked Nicole’s lips once more before rolling off her lap and crawling under the covers. Nicole smiled at her as she made her way to the tv to put a movie on her playstation. Waverly’s eyes were on her like glue as she casually made her way back to the bed. She pulled her shorts down, leaving her in only her tight boxers before climbing in next to Waverly. In an offering to snuggle in close if she chose, Nicole opened her arms up allowing Waverly to make herself right at home. Nicole settled in her spot, then proceeded to put on the movie she had chosen to end the night with. When the Lion King started playing on the screen, a callback to the first night they’d ever spent together, a single tear of joy rolled down her cheek. Nicole squeezed her snugly and placed a kiss to the top of her head. Although the older girl had changed in the time they spent apart, deep down she was still sweet and kind and gentle and still made Waverly feel safe and loved in ways she thought possible. In that moment, cuddled into her side, her exposed skin burning everywhere it touched Nicole’s, there was no denying she may have always been just a little in love with Nicole Haught.

  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!
> 
> JK it's not the end I currently have no end in sight, but I may not have a chapter posted next week as ch 11 is currently sitting around 4000 words and I'm not even half way done with it. I've also been really busy with shitty adult things.  
> I'll do my best, but make no promises that it will be out in time for a Sunday release. I apologize as I know it sucks to wait. Hopefully this and all the other lovely fic out there will tide you over until then.  
> Stay golden fam.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer break is upon us. there is some ups and some downs and maybe a reunion is store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok everyone, I know I said maybe no chapter this week but I figured if I split this one in 2 parts you could at least have the first part now and the second (probably shorter) one in a couple weeks since this one on its own is over 7600 words.  
> Now I do want to warn everyone, although I don't think it's too bad, there is a TW for verbal child abuse/homophobia. it is a super small part but is important to the story. It will be the only time something like that happens in the story as well.
> 
> Also for those of you that don't know yet, I posted the first chap of my new fic The Pavilion a couple days ago. It's an enemies to lovers rock band fic. It probably won't be updated on a schedule until i'm done with this one but check it out and tell me what you think. If I get a lot of interest I may try updating more often. 
> 
> Anyway enjoy the newest installment of childhood wayhaught. As always kudos and comments and all that jazz are always appreciated.

Nicole: August 2003

Summer break started and before she knew it, Nicole was once again being shipped off to the states with her uncle. He and Nicole had already spent the better part of a week camping and hiking northern Arizona. Even in mid August, Arizona was still hotter than any place she’d ever experienced. Not even the scorching heat of Texas compared to what she was feeling here. There was no humidity and no such thing as a cool breeze here. In fact, the wind was so hot blowing against her skin, she was sure a dragon was breathing on her. She had grown accustomed to the mild in comparison summer of Purgatory and was no longer conditioned for this type of heat. “Uncle Sam, I’m too hot, I think ma skin is actually meltin’ off an’ I ain’t tryna be dramatic or nothin’, but I feel like ma insides is boilin’ too. I don’t think I can go on, jus’ leave me here ta die. Least I’ll finally be cool again.” she groaned, dragging her feet through the dirt and rocks beneath her.

Her uncle turned to her and laughed, rubbing his big scruffy beard in thought. “You know, for someone who “ain’t tryna be dramatic” you may just be the most dramatic person on this trail right now, kid.” They had been touring the Grand Canyon and Colorado river for the past couple days and Nicole was over it. She was hot and also fighting off a mega sunburn, since Sam forgot to remind her to put on sunscreen their first day out. There had also been an incident where she unknowingly stood in an ant hill and was attacked by a swarm of angry red ants. Luckily Sam was quick to react and she only suffered a few bites on either leg. Her eyes watered as she tried her best to put on a tough face and not let her pain bubble out in tears. She’d been through much worse, a few stupid ants weren’t going to be the thing that broke her. “Come on ya big baby, the Kayaks are just a little ways more. You can even take a dip in the river to cool off, before we go if you want.”

Nicole huffed and tried to act annoyed, like a swim in the cool waters wasn’t exactly what she wanted right now. “Fine, but if there is a green one that’s the one we’re gettin’.” She sped up her stride easily enough that her uncle was quite sure she was in fact not boilin’ from the inside and actually was the most dramatic person on this trail. As soon as she saw the waters edge she sprinted to it, throwing herself directly into the cool Colorado river. She swore she could even feel steam coming off her overheated little body as she lay fully clothed, Stetson in hand, in the shallow flowing water.

Sam may have been the most laid back person she had ever known, excluding Wynonna that is, once you got past his gruff exterior. He looked at her spread out in the shallow water and shook his head with a smile. “You feel better? Ain’t dead yet are ya?” The question was rhetorical, but Nicole raised her hand in a thumbs up to at least acknowledge that she had heard him. “Stay there and don’t go any deeper. I’m going to grab our ride okay Nic?” The corner of her mouth twitched up at the name. It had been a few days since she told him Waverly called her that and she preferred it over Nicky. It made her feel tough, like she could take on the world, even though most days it felt like it was eating her alive. He didn’t skip a beat in changing how he referred to her. It was one thing she loved most about him. He respected her for who she was and never did anything to make her feel less than.

“Got it! Stay here, don’t go no deeper. I don’t think I can move even if I wanted to anyways, but you got it.” Despite the unbearable heat and sunburn and ant bites, this had actually been the happiest Nicole had been without Waverly by her side in months. She hadn’t spoken to her friend since she left and was undoubtedly missing her, but she didn’t have that crippling fear that she would lose her at any moment like she had during their winter break. That’s not to say her mind wasn’t on the younger girl every free second of her day, but Sam had done a fine job at keeping her so busy her mind had little time to wander.

It was their last day at the Grand Canyon before they headed back to Flagstaff for a few days, prior to starting their road trip along the coast and back into Canada. They kayaked the entire day and by the time they’d finished their excursion at dusk, Nicole was so tired she’d fallen asleep against her uncle in the kayak and he had to carry her back up the trail and to their small tent. They spent the night camped out, before heading back in the morning. Their next stop would be Sedona, Sam had planned to teach her how to rock climb in the red rocks out there, and mentioned something about it being a place for spiritual healing. Nicole didn’t know much about that, but she trusted Sam and rock climbing sounded fun at the very least. He’d even done a proper job and rented a RV so he could drop it at their final destination and fly back home when their trip came to an end.

Nicole was relieved when they finally arrived back at her uncle’s house the following day. It had been a long couple weeks and she was ready for a real shower and to sleep in a real bed for a few days before they started the next part of their journey. Sam had some work to finish up at his auto shop prior to their big road trip, so she would be stuck hanging around and twiddling her thumbs at her grandparents ranch until the next part of their journey. This was also going to be the only time in her entire break that she’d be able to talk to Waverly regularly. At least there was that, she thought. They hadn’t spoken to each other since the day Nicole left for the first part of her road trip over a week ago now and although she was having fun, she was starting to really miss her friend and her home. Nicole ran into the house as soon as they got back, to check the answering machine for any messages from her friend. Waverly had known she would be back today, so there might be something. The first message was from her mom, just to check up on them and tell them to call when they got back in. Nicole quickly skipped past it to the message Waverly left for her. “Hey Nic, I guess you’re not back yet, huh? Just thought I’d check. I miss you… I guess I’ll just wait for you to call when you get in then. Bye.” She heard shuffling and mumbles on the line before Waverly finished. “Oh Nonna says high too. Okay bye for reals this time.”

Nicole hadn’t even noticed the smile splitting her face in two, until Sam rolled in behind her suitcases in hand. “Thanks for helping with the luggage, Nic.” He said sarcasm dripping from his voice. Nicole jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. She was in her own little world listening to Waverly, not that that was anything out of the ordinary though. She was always somewhere else when she was with her. Their own private plane of existence, separate from anywhere on this earth. Her mom had scolded her for it multiple times, but she couldn’t help but feel like they were the only two people in the universe when they were together. 

“Little Waverly leave you the message you were expecting?” He was softer this time, a smile ticking at the edge of his mouth, like he knew something Nicole didn’t quite understand yet. A secret about herself that even she didn’t know.

“Yup, Ima call her back kay.” She said reaching for the phone. Nicole’s quest to call Waverly back was side tracked though.

“No, no, no, little lady. You gotta help your old uncle here, unload the truck, then you have to call your Ma, and after that you can talk to Waverly. We can even order pizza and I got stuff for milkshakes if you want some dessert. We’ll have a bro’s night in. Sound good kiddo.” Sam cringed as soon as he heard what he had said. The nickname made her flinch, just slightly though. It didn’t attack her in the same way it used to, it didn’t have that same sting, like pouring salt in an open wound, as it did all those months ago now. He tried to correct his course, but he of all people knew it was one of her triggers and that she may lose it. “Shit, I’m sorry Nic, I know you don’t like that one. It just slipped out. Are yo-”

“I’m good.” She interrupted, taking a big breath in. It didn’t feel great, but for the first time in months she didn’t feel like her heart was being torn to shreds, when someone called her that either. Her eyes were sad, but a small smile made its way to the edge of her mouth. “I’m alright, promise. I love pizza and you know I would never turn down milkshakes.” 

***

The days that followed, at her grandparents ranch left her bored and lonely. She would have much rather just gone to the shop with Sam, she loved learning about the old cars and motorcycles he worked on, but they insisted she spend at least a few days visiting them, even though they barely interacted with her while she was there. Although Nicole loved them, by the second day she was bored out of her mind and dying for something entertaining to do. She was outside riding her too small, busted up, edging the point of being unrideable, bike around the pig pen, hoping it didn’t fall apart and send her flying, when a young girl, around her age startled her, with a, “Hey?!” Nicole turned her head surprised and rode right into the metal fence of the pen, sending her flying over and barrelling to the ground. “Oh my gosh are you okay. Holy crap that looked like it hurt.” She rushed to Nicole’s side to make sure she was not too badly hurt.

The dirt clouded up around Nicole, as she groaned and gasped for air, gripping her stomach tightly, tring to regain some of the breath she had lost. Dust entered her lungs and she coughed, slowly starting to realize the extent of her injuries. Both her forearms were scuffed and bleeding, as well as one of her knees, and she had an abrasion filled with dirt and rocks on her chin, where it skid across the ground before she caught herself. “Shit.” Nicole grumbled, from her fetal position, still not moving much from her place on the ground. “I think... I... died... I think... ya killed me... dude.” She said in short, slow breaths, opening one eye to look at the stranger that had caused her such distress. 

The other girl looked panicked, her dark eyes were wide and filled with fear. “Oh my god, oh my god, are you really gonna die? Wait here, I’ll go get my dad, he’ll know what to do. Stay here, don’t move. I am so sorry. Please don’t die!” She shouted as if the crash had caused Nicole to go deaf as well.

Nicole sucked in a deep, pained breath. Now that she could breathe a bit better, her head was spinning, but maybe she didn’t feel like she was actually dying after all. “Wait.” She gasped, gripping the other girl’s arm just as she went to stand and run off. “I’m alright. Least I think I am. I jus’ couldn’t get no breath… felt like I was suffocatin’.” She was still breathing heavier than normal, but was able to sit up and fully look at the worried girl in front of her. She tried to put on a brave face, despite the fact that it felt like her insides had just got all jumbled up and her skin felt like it was on fire. “This ain’t even the worst wreck I’ve been in.” She laughed. She knew it was a little messed up to be laughing about it, but couldn’t really help herself. 

The dark skinned girl looked down at her quizzically. “You sure you’re okay? You took a pretty nasty spill there. You flew like ten feet.”

She nodded, giving her a forced half smile. Nicole was quite honestly, a mess. She was covered in dirt and blood, her shirt was ripped and somewhere along the way, she had lost a boot as well as her stetson. “Yeah, I’m good. Jus’ a lil’ busted up.” She responded, finally taking a good look at the mysterious girl at fault for all of her current pain and suffering. She was no one she had recognized from her prior trips to the ranch. “Who are ya, anyways.” Nicole ran a hand through her tangled, dirty hair, realizing her hat was no longer where it was supposed to be. Dread coursed through her veins, her eyes skating wildly around, in search of her most beloved possession. When she caught sight of it a few yards away, she scrambled through the dirt and rocks to get it. Relief washed over her as soon as it was back in her hands. She dusted the dirt off as best she could and put it back on her head. The girl looked more confused than ever now. Nicole supposed she did seem like a crazy person. First she flew off her bike into a dirty pig pen, then she clambered through said dirty pen to retrieve an equally dirty old hat. “I… uh… sorry ‘bout that. It’s uh… it’s important…” She finished, hoping the girl wouldn’t try and dig too deep into it. She really wasn’t in the mood to go into her whole life story during what was supposed to be a relaxing summer break. 

The curly haired girl looked at the mess of a kid, Nicole Haught was in that moment, and downright giggled. “Well my dad said you were different, but you sure are a weird one aren’t you Nicole. I’m Kate, my dad is one of the ranch hands out here. He brought me out here today. Apparently, your grand dad thought you could use some company. We should probably get you cleaned up though. You kind of wiped out hard. You got some blood on you, and you smell like straight up pig.” Her smile was easy, like she hadn’t had a care in the world. Maybe she didn’t. Most kids her age didn’t have half the cares that weighed Nicole down on their shoulders. 

After Kate had taken Nicole inside to get cleaned up the two spent the rest of the day together. Nicole’s old bike was no longer rideable after the crash, which wasn’t surprising considering the state it was in prior, so instead they played basketball in the driveway and when they were thoroughly overheated and exhausted they went inside to play mario kart on the old nintendo 64. Kate was fun and easy, she never asked any questions about Nicole’s life or past and seemed content to just live in the moment. It felt good to have at least one person completely oblivious to her tramas. There was no pity or concerned stares. No one fearing she could be triggered into a panic attack at a moment's notice. It also helped to keep her mind off of Waverly. They had been apart for over two weeks now and even though they spoke on the phone daily, Nicole was really starting to miss her best friend.

Nicole had a few more days left on the ranch before her uncle came to pick her up and they started their road trip back home. She spent the days leading up to her departure running around the ranch with Kate by her side. The day before she was set to leave a storm rolled through the property, soaking everything and creating a thick blanket of mud everywhere they stepped. It was late August, but it was still more than warm enough to run out against the wishes of their guardians and play in it. The girls stomped in the rain and mud until they were soaked to the bone and the cool evening breeze started to make them question their life decisions. One thing she didn’t quite understand about Flagstaff this time of year was how it could be so unbearably hot in the daytime and cold enough to freeze your britches off in the evening. Forced to go inside, Nicole’s grandmother was quick to scold them and shooed them upstairs to shower and change. 

Nicole and Kate sat, showered and clean, in her bedroom watching old Buffy reruns, while Kate waited for her dad to finish up on the ranch. “Hey Nicole?” Kate asked looking up from the scene unfolding in front of her. Nicole’s eyes were fixed though, unmoving almost as though she was in a trance, but the moment passed in a blink of an eye, leaving her questioning everything she thought she knew about life. She had never seen two girls kissing before. She hadn’t even known that was an option. Was anyone ever going to tell her that she could kiss girls instead of boys? “Nicole?” Kate asked again, louder this time, even nudging her shoulder with her foot to grab her attention. 

“Huh? What is it Kate?” She questioned, not looking at her, still unable to tear her eyes from the screen even though the kiss had long since passed.

“Nicole? Have you ever kissed anyone?” Bright red blush took over Nicole’s pale skin and her eyes about popped out of their sockets as surprise took over.

She stumbled over her next few words trying to figure out why this was a thing she was even being asked. Up until this moment she hadn’t even thought about kissing anyone. She always figured her only options were boys and she would have rather chewed on an old boot that do that. “Um… I uh… not really… I mean… Waves, she’s uh… she kissed my cheek a few times, but nah, I guess I ain't really ever been interested in any of that malarkey. Boys are kinda gross. I don’t think I ever really felt the need to do that I guess.” Her hand was up, rubbing the back of her neck absently as she tried to get her words across. 

Kate was silent for a long while before deciding she still had more to say. “You know Nicole, I think boys are kinda gross too. What if we didn’t kiss boys though. Willow and Tara kissed and they are both girls… We could do that too. You and me. Kiss I mean. You know, just to know what it’s like. Only if you want though." Nicole looked at her with a baffled expression, a bright crimson still painting her cheeks.

Did Kate just offer to be her first kiss? It wouldn’t be the worst thing, just to know what it was like is all. Just to get it out of the way, that way her real first kiss could be good and definitely not weird at all. “Uh… yeah okay. I think that’ll be smart, so we’re ready when our real first kiss comes along.” She agreed. Nicole's palms were clammy and her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. Kate scooted closer and they were both sitting cross legged in front of each other, waiting for the other to make a move. She was mighty uncomfortable and shifted her position before stuttering, “Uh, I guess… uh… I... I’ll jus’ go ahead an’ kiss ya now then.” Kate nodded in agreeance, closing her eyes and puckering her lips in anticipation. 

Nicole took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and pressed them against her friend’s. A flash of honey brown hair and hazel eyes skipped through her mind for a millisecond, before it was gone, leaving her more than a little confused. Well that was not what she expected. When Kate first proposed the idea, Nicole was sure it was going to be nothing she was interested in doing ever again. But now, with her lips pressed firmly against Kate’s, all she could wonder was if Waverly’s lips would be just as soft, if not softer. The thought knocked the wind from her sails, but hadn’t been all that surprising she supposed. Waverly was the light of her life and every time they touched, she left tingles in her wake. Maybe they could be girlfriends like Willow and Tara. Waverly already liked to hold hands and cuddle, add in a kiss or two and they could make it official.

The kiss to Kate lasted no more than a couple seconds, but before they could separate, her grandmother burst through the door, sending a lightning bolt of shock through Nicole. “Nicky, Katie’s da- Oh my god what are you two doing!” The two separated like their lips caught fire. “Nicole! Katie! How dare you bring that nonsense under this roof!” Her grandma hissed. Nicole’s entire body stiffened, her eyes widened and her breathing hitched. She hadn’t considered getting caught was a possibility, nevermind the over the top reaction her grandma seemed to be having. This was normal, wasn’t it? Why was she getting so upset? She wanted to say something, anything to dig herself out of this hole she found herself in. Nothing came out though, her mouth just opened and closed like a fish out of water, until her grandmother spoke again. “Katie, it is time for you to leave, your dad is waiting for you downstairs. Don’t bother coming over tomorrow, Nicole is officially grounded until she leaves in a couple days. I will also be sure to speak to him about this fiasco before his shift tomorrow.” She huffed, moving from the doorway, allowing Kate to pass by. Kate turned and gave Nicole a small, hesitant wave before heading out the door and out of sight completely. Nicole watched her leave, her grandmother’s disappointed eyes searing a hole into her heart, wondering if she’d ever see the dark skinned girl again.

As soon as they heard the door close her grandmother laid into her with the wrath of a thousand suns. "Nicole Rayleigh Haught, how dare you bring that blasphemy into this house! Has your mother taught you nothing? This is a house of God and I will not have you defiling it with your sins." She hissed.

Nicole cowered in on herself, she had never seen her grandmother so angry and no one had ever spoken to her with that much disgust in their voice. She shuffled her tiny body into the corner furthest from the approaching threat that was her grandmother. Tremors wrecked her body as tears started to fall of their own accord. "I, I, I'm sorry Mam I ain’t, I aint know it was bad." Her chocolate eyes were wide and wild as she searched for a way out of this. The TV, the TV was still playing quietly in the background, "The show Mam, we saw it on the show! We was just curious. We ain't mean nothing by it." She cried. 

"Turn off that drivel, we don't need it polluting your mind any further. And stop your crying. You're just like your father, weak and soft. God knows he destroyed your mother's morals as well. I thought once he was gone, his nonsense would follow suit, but I guess I was wrong." The venom in her words twisted inside of Nicole. 

All the air felt like it had been sucked from her lungs. Not even when she had flown off her bike earlier in the week, did her inability to breath affect her so strongly. She was utterly terrified of one of the people she had trusted most in the world. Mam scowled at her, and her tiny body curled in even tighter. Her knees were at her chest, arms wrapped so tightly around her legs, the skin indented under her fingernails.

The look of terror on her granddaughter's face must have shifted something in Mam as she took a step back from encroaching on her. “Dry those crocodile tears Nicole, you best remember this the next time you have those unholy thoughts.” She scoffed, and turned away, walking out of the room.

Nicole was left alone and scared. A trail of tears down her flushed face. What the heck was that? Ain't nobody ever been so mad at her for something so silly. She couldn't reason why something that was supposedly so wrong felt so right. It didn't matter, she would bury it deep down if it meant she would never have those hateful words and feelings directed towards her ever again. She wanted to leave. She wanted her mom, and her uncle, and her best friend, but she was just a kid and she was trapped here in this house and in her head.

After a long while, alone in the silent room, her body finally stopped trembling, her breathing evened out, her tears dried up, and she was able to get up from her crouched position and crawl into her bed. Exhaustion, crashed over her in heavy waves, until it finally pulled her down into a restless sleep.

***

“Nicole. Come on kid we’re getting out of here” Her uncle woke her up with a gentle hand to her shoulder. She was tired and her eyes were heavy, but she was glad, really. He had unknowingly pulled her from one of the first nightmares she’d had in months.

She rubbed the sleep from her puffy eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. “Uncle Sam? Whatcha doin’ here? What time is it? The sun ain’t even out yet.” Her voice cracked, barely able to get the words out clearly.

He smiled down at her, delicately pushing her hair from her face. “It’s late Nic, but your mom called and told me what happened. Apparently mean ol’ Mam thought we’d be taking her side in this whole scenario, boy was she wrong. If I know anything about you Ma, she did more than give her a piece of her mind. She called me not too long ago and asked me to get you in the morning, but I figured you didn’t want to be somewhere you probably didn’t feel safe at anymore so here I am. Now gather your stuff up Nic, we’re making a run for it before Mam and Pap wake up and give us trouble. We can be delinquents together.” He punctuated his point by ruffling Nicole’s shoulder length red hair and giving her a wink. Then the two quietly gathered Nicole’s belongings and made their way out the house, to Sam’s old Chevy truck. 

Nicole’s head was down, feet kicking up dust as she walked to the truck, when she remembered something she had been thinking about since the day she got there. “Wait, Uncle, I gotta get somethin’ real quick. She ran off into the dark, only the full moon for light, only to return a moment later with her old broken bike. The chain had fallen off and the brakes broke when she crashed the day she met Kate, she knew Sam was handy enough and could probably fix it though. Heck, maybe he could even teach her a thing or two so she could fix it on her own next time. She looked up at him, hopeful that he would let her bring it along. “I was thinkin’ we could fix her up. You know it could be fun. I really like fixin’ things, but I ain’t so good at it yet and half the time I end up not bein’ able to put it back together. I figured maybe if ya helped me though it would pro’ly go a lot more smooth.

Sam let out a huffed laugh and smiled down at her. “Of course we can. And you’re right, I think it could be fun. I really like fixin’ things too.” He grabbed the bike and chucked it into the bed of the tuck. “Now get in Nic, before them jerks figure out we’re gone. We need to be up early, if you’re going to go to work with me for our final day before we leave tomorrow. 

Waverly 

Waverly Earp had been having a mighty fine summer break. Of course the first few days were rough not having her best friend around, but between Wynonna and Chrissy keeping her busy, she had been fairing just fine. Willa hadn’t been great, but most of her time had been taken up by her dropout boyfriend Bobo, so she was rarely around to give Waverly trouble anyway.

Upon arriving home from Chrissy's house one evening she was greeted by a grumpy as ever Willa, sitting in the living room with her slimy boyfriend. "Waverly… I see you've finally taken my advice and stopped hanging around that mongrel ginger child. I must say, Chrissy is a much better friend option. Her daddy is the new sheriff and all.”

The words directed at Nicole were harsh and maybe if Wynonna was around to have her back, she would have defended her best friend against her sister. Instead she just stated the obvious, trying not to irritate her before she could vanish to the safety of her bedroom. “Willa, Nicole is just visiting her family in the states, she’ll be back in a couple weeks. Chrissy is pretty cool too though.” 

Willa had a look of disgust on her face and Bobo was staring at her like her was a wolf stalking its prey. He said nothing though, only smiled harshly, exposing his yellow teeth. It made her shift uncomfortably in her shoes. “You really should stay away from her though, she’s not natural and I don’t want you getting wrapped up in that. Contrary to popular opinion, I do care about you, Waverly. You’re our baby sister and we just want the best for you.” Even through sincere words, Waverly could sniff the fakeness seeping through her sisters lips. She couldn’t fathom why anyone would ever dislike her beautiful, sweet, Nicole. But Willa was Willa and often didn’t need an actual reason to hate anyone or anything. It was in her nature, like a predator to its prey, she was drawn to weakness and fed on it to make herself stronger.

Waverly didn’t have much more to say after that. She just nodded her head and went upstairs, assuming the conversation was over. Wynonna was sprawled out on her bed, reading another swimsuit magazine, when Waverly walked in, looking mighty sad and mopey.

Although Wynonna may not have been the most observant person ever, she did know when her favorite person was upset. “What’s wrong, Baby Girl? You missing Haught Pants? It’s already been a couple weeks. She’ll be back soon enough.” Waverly sighed, she was more upset about the things Willa had just said about her friend than anything right now. At least Wynonna was trying.

“Of course I miss her Nonna. She’s my best friend, I love her. I was fine until Willa was being a mean old jerk again. She was going on about how Nic was weird and a mongrel, and how it didn’t look good for us to be hanging out together.” Waverly threw her tiny body onto the bed next to her older sister. “Why is she so mean, Nonna? I don’t get it. She could just not say anything at all if she doesn’t like her that much. Nicole is so nice too, she doesn’t deserve a friend like me with a mean sister that is always talking about her.” There were tears glistening in Waverly’s eyes thinking about a life without Nicole in it.

“Look Waverly, Willa is just a mean, unhappy, asshole and the only thing that seems to make her happy is putting down anyone that can’t or won’t fight back. Don’t let her get to you. In ten years she will probably be just the same miserable shit head and you… you will have the world to look forward to kid. You’re so kind and beautiful and smart; maybe even the smartest person I’ve ever met, and you’d only be so lucky to have a friend like Nicole Little Haught Pants Haught by your side. She’s one of the good ones, no matter what anyone else says. And, she loves you too Waves, I am sure of it.” Wynonna rarely said the right thing at the right time, but right then, in this moment her words meant the world to Waverly. So often were her feelings dismissed or straight up ignored, but right then she felt seen.

“Thanks Nonna. I feel better already.” Waverly smiled, cuddling into Wynonna’s side for the rest of the afternoon.

***

In the days that followed, Waverly spent a majority of her time either at Chrissy's house, or at the park, reading books and playing with Chrissy and the other kids there. Waverly had been sitting under the shade of a large oak tree finishing up A Wrinkle in time when none other than king beef head himself Champ Hardy kicked some dirt at her. "What the heck, Champ?" She asked, dusting off her book.

"That's what you get nerd." He laughed, kicking up more dirt and making a cloud of dust.

“For what? I’m not even doing anything.” She scowled at him.

He shrugged. “Mostly just for being a nerd. It’s no wonder the only kids that want to hang out with you are Chrissy the Narc and Yeehaw Nicky. What’s with that stupid hat of hers anyway? It doesn’t even fit her stupid little head.”

Waverly stood up, hands balled tightly at her sides, “Shut up Champ! Nicole is the best person I know and Chrissy is my friend too! Why can’t you just mind your own business you stupid jerk.” Waverly was glaring up at him through squinted eyes. He had been retained a year and was not only older, but was also almost twice as big as her as well. She knew she was small for her age anyway, but Champ was already almost as big as some of the seventh graders. Considering how dumb he was, it was really the only thing he had going for him. 

He scoffed at her bravado. “What are you gonna do? Fight me? Don’t be dumb, Waverly. You’d never win. Besides, it’s not like your ginger guard dog is here to protect you anyway.”

“I said shut up!” And then, she threw her hardcover copy of A Wrinkle in Time, straight at his stupid head. It hit him square between the eyes and sat him on his ass. 

“Bad idea, Waverly!” he growled, picking himself up from the dirt. “You’re going to pay for that!” He rushed her, and grabbed her arm so tight, she was sure it was going to bruise.

“Let go Champ! Leave me alone!” Waverly was tugging her arm, but it was useless. He was way stronger than her. She closed her eyes tight and turned her head from him, expecting a hit that never came.

“Get your grabby paws off my little sister you little shit.” Wynonna seemingly appeared out of thin air. Champ didn’t let go though, his grip only tightened as if he were in too deep to back out now. Wynonna practically growled at him, fire in her eyes and fury in her voice. “I swear to god if you don’t get your hand off her in two seconds I am going to punch you in your smug little face…” Her voice was hard and void of all jokes or playfulness of the typical Wynonna. As soon as Waverly heard her, she knew she was safe, she also knew if Champ didn’t do exactly what she said, her sister was going to hold true to her word. She held her breath as Wynonna started her countdown. “One... two.” He did not let go, so true to her word, almost 15 year old Wynonna punched 11 year old Champ Hardy in the face. He fell to the ground crying, grasping at his bleeding nose. “Now now Chump, what did we learn about touching people without consent?”

“You crazy bitch!” he screamed. “My nose, I think it’s broken. I’m telling my dad!” Wynonna stood over him, prompting him to drag himself through the dirt to try and get away from her.

Wynonna chuckled. “Yeah you do that, go ahead and tell your dad you got knocked on your ass by a girl. I’m sure that’ll sit real good with him. Come on Baby Girl, let’s go home. He ain’t gonna do shit.” Waverly picked up her book from the ground and let her big sister lead her home, leaving Champ crying in a puddle of dirty blood as they went. As she rode home on the handlebars of her sisters bike, she couldn’t help but think how stupid boys were. Maybe when she grew up she could just ignore them altogether. Maybe her and Nicole could live together forever. They could even get a cat or maybe a dog. She'd have to ask what Nicole preferred. Either way, it'd be the two of them until the end of time. She smiled, and her heart fluttered as she let her imagination take her away.

***

They were heading into the final days of August and the end of summer break was closing in on them. Although it was still warm, fall weather was becoming more and more noticeable as the temperatures had been steadily dropping over the past few days. For some reason or another though, Wynonna insisted on taking Waverly for a swim down at the lake. So, despite her protests, Wynonna dragged Waverly to the lake, even though the frigid waters were already way too cold to swim in. Waverly told her as much, but it wasn’t until she jumped into the ice cold lake, that Wynonna completely grasped the error of her judgment. 

"Holy fucking, fuck balls!" Wynonna made her way out of the river as quickly as humanly possible and was greeted with a towel by a hysterically laughing, almost nine year old. "Jesus Christ! That water is colder than Willa's shriveled up little heart, and that is saying something. Why the hell did you let me do that!" She laughed through chattering teeth.

"I tried to warn you! I told you Nonna! It's too cold for the lake! We missed our window. What are you even doing!" She wiped the tears from her face, trying to halt the uncontrollable giggles still bubbling out of her.

"I just wanted to hang out, you and me, before Haught Potato gets back and you start ignoring me again." The towel wrapped tightly around her body was slowly starting to work its magic and Wynonna's shivering was mellowing out. "It's your birthday next week, she should be back by then right?"

Waverly nodded excitedly. Wynonna actually remembered her birthday was coming up, usually she forgot, her scatter-brain was always off in different directions. "Yeah she promised! She's supposed to be back the fifth if they make good time. Oh maybe we can make a cake!"

Wynonna gave her younger sister a soft smile. "Yeah Baby Girl maybe we can."

***

The fifth of September came and went and when Nicole still wasn't home the day before her birthday, she was starting to get worried. She hadn’t heard from her much since they started their road trip, so she was less concerned about the lack of contact and more that it was the day of her birthday and Nicole promised she'd be here. She hadn’t even called since the fifth to tell her they were en route home but got a little delayed. 

When the morning of her birthday arrived and Nicole still wasn’t home, a sense of dread rolled through her. Waverly sighed, letting the book she was laying on her bed reading fall to her face. She was alone in the house. Wynonna apparently had something super important to do that morning and couldn't be bothered to spend the day with her sister on her birthday. It wasn’t unusual, but Wynonna hadn’t even bothered to tell her happy birthday before she left. When she heard the door slam downstairs, she perked up at the telltale sign her obnoxious sister was home. Waverly ran downstairs to meet her and obviously question her on her whereabouts this morning. Maybe she went out to get her a present or a cake or maybe even a card. It’s not like they really had money for anything else.

Waverly met her sister in the kitchen, acting nonchalant as ever, like it was just any other day. "Hey Baby Girl what's up?” Apparently Wynonna had forgotten her birthday again after all. She let out an exaggerated sigh and sat down at the kitchen table while her sister started rummaging through their fridge. 

“Nothing Wy… it’s just… I mean it’s September ninth... Nicole was supposed to be home a few days ago and I haven’t heard from her in a couple days. I’m just a little sad cause she promised she’d be home by my birthday… on the ninth which is today.” She said, hoping her dense sister would catch on to her not so subtle hinting that today was in fact her birthday.

Wynonna pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge and took a long swig. When she finally finished, Waverly stared at her expectantly. “Oh shit, I almost forgot. Can you go get the mail Waves? I forgot to bring it in when I got home.” Waverly’s jaw dropped. Freaking Wynonna, of course she wouldn’t remember. First Nicole wasn’t back and now Wynonna forgot her birthday again and now she was double sad. A few unwanted tears pricked to corners of her eyes threatening to reveal her disappointment, but she dared not let them fall.

Another deep sigh escaped from her tiny body. “Yeah Nonna, I’ll be right back.” With her shoulders hunched, and her bare feet dragging she made her way outside to the old mailbox. The early fall breeze cut deep and halfway down the long driveway, she found herself wishing she’d put on a sweater or at least a pair of shoes, her fall pajamas were just not cutting it. Opening the mailbox she found only one letter. She turned it over in her hand inspecting the messy script on the front. Nicole! Nicole must have sent her this. Excitement flooded through her. Of course Nicole would remember, even if she couldn’t be here for whatever reason, at least she had this. With shaking hands she delicately opened the pale pink envelope and pulled out the fluorescent pink sticky note from the inside. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she read the single word that was written to herself. ““SURPRISE?” What the he-”

And then, one Nicole Haught jumped from the bushes, scaring the bejeezus out of her. “Surprise!” Waverly jumped about a meter in the air and screamed louder that was necessary. Nicole was laughing so hysterically, she held her stomach and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Wynonna must have been in on it as well, as her rackus laughter was breaking through the distance. 

“Holy marshmallows, Nicole! You scared the fudge out of me!” She was grasping at her chest, trying to get the bird she called a heart under control. Everything had happened so fast, she didn’t immediately comprehend the last couple minutes. Wait Nicole? Nicole was back! “Nicole you’re back!” Waverly didn’t waste one more second and threw herself into Nicole’s arms. Quick to react, Nicole caught the tiny girl flinging herself at her with ease and twirled them around in a couple circles. Even in the short time they had been apart, it seemed like Nicole had grown another couple inches and she was almost towering over little Waverly now. 

Nicole held her tight, and secure, like she never wanted to let go. Her laughing had petered out and she let out a deep breath setting Waverly’s shaking legs back on the earth. “I’m home Waves. I missed you.” she said as she brushed a lock of long honey brown hair back behind her ear.

A shy smile graced the younger girl’s face. “I missed you too Nic. Like bunches. Lots and lots of bunches.” she mumbled “I hadn’t heard from you and I thought something happened. I thought maybe you weren’t coming back.” Her small arms squeezed around Nicole, afraid if she let go she’d disappear again.

Nicole just squeezed her tighter. “I know, but I’m home Waves. No matter what, I’ll always come home to you. Always.”

Waverly nuzzled her face into Nicole’s neck, breathing in that distinct vanilla scent. She let the tears she held in earlier fall from her eyes, but this time there was no sadness or disappointment, only happiness and unrivaled joy behind them. Nicole was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh and as always come say hi on the tweeters if you are so inclined. @actuallysoftAF


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much the rest of the previous chapter. Nicole heads home and celebrates Waverly's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today. Sorry for the delay, I've been having a real hard time concentrating lately. Anyway enjoy the update, and if you haven't already check out my new fic  
> [The Pavilion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921566/chapters/%5B65699452%5D)

Nicole September 2003

Nicole and Sam had been on the road for a few days now. After a couple day trip learning the basics of rock climbing in Sedona, they headed west to San Diego to start their trip up the coast. Neither were much for talking so they mostly enjoyed the changing landscapes in silence. Sam hadn’t brought up the incident with Mam since the night he whisked her away and while she appreciated it at first, the uncertainty and confusion about all that had happened was finally starting to get under her skin. Nicole shifted in her seat, she was anxious and fidgety. Her small fingers rubbed, nervous circles on the synthetic vinyl seat. It was warm and smooth under her skin and did nothing to stifle the restlessness she felt seeping out of her. 

From the driver's seat of the RV, Sam could see something was off with his niece. Without ever taking his eyes off the road he asked, “Nicole, what’s wrong? I can feel your little mind going a mile a minute. Get out of your head and talk to me.” Nicole could see him grip the steering wheel just a bit tighter, his knuckles going white briefly before he let up again.  Was he nervous too? Maybe he had the same apprehensions about this talk as she did. Seeing him as worried as she was did little to ease her own nerves, but she knew if she didn’t spit it out now, neither of them were going to have a very good trip and they still had a long way to go.

She pulled her knees up to her chest as best she could from her spot in the passenger seat. The newly formed callus on her hands scratched roughly on the fabric of her shorts. They were blisters just a few days ago. Battle scars, Sam had called them, a trophy for besting the red rocks. “One day if you’re lucky, you’ll get a thick enough skin that you won’t get blisters anymore.” he said and he bandaged her small wounded hands. “One day, all the things you’ve endured will build up and protect you like armor.” Nicole had a fleeting thought that maybe he wasn’t even talking about blisters at that point. “One day Nicole, you’ll be so strong, that not even the rockiest cliffs or scariest climbs can hurt you.”

She thought back to his words from a few days ago. She wanted to be strong now, but there was just so much. The deep breath she took in helped calm her before she committed to what she wanted to ask. “Uncle Sam?" His eyes flicked to her briefly encouraging her to continue. "Why was Mam so mad when me and Kate kissed? It weren’t even a big deal, we jus’ figured it’d be nice to get it out of the way on each other since boys are gross.” her fingers worked mercilessly at the skin around her fingernails, much more of that and she was sure to break skin. 

Sam let out an almost inaudible chuckle. “Is that right?” He raised an eyebrow in her direction, “Now, I may be an old man, but I didn’t go round kissing my boy friends when I was a kid, Nic.”

Brown eyes steeled, glaring at her uncle. “What the heck is that s’pposed to mean? I told ya, we was jus’ curious!” 

A heavy sigh left Sam’s chest. “I know Nic. And it’s okay to be curious. Mam never really understood that. All she knows is her bible and church and twisted view of the world. If things aren’t the way she thinks they should be, it scares her. She’s spent her entire life with one view of the world, I don’t think she can or wants to keep up with how fast it’s changing. She’s had a deep fear of the unknown instilled into her at a very young age and it is incredibly hard to break from that cycle. Now, it doesn’t make what she did or said to you okay, and if you don’t want to tell us exactly what she said that’s okay too, but it is the reason she is the way she is. This is not an excuse from her actions, Nicole, just an explanation.”

Small hands gripped back around her tucked in legs, her eyebrows scrunched, trying to find the right words. “She really scared me Sam. She screamed blasphemy an’ called me a sinner. An’ then she started yellin’ ‘bout Dad and how I was weak like him cause I got scared an’ had a panic attack.” Her bottom lip was now taking the brunt of her anxiety. A hint of copper graced her tongue, she tasted it before she felt it and let up as to not cause more damage. “I guess I jus’ don’t get why somethin’ that felt so normal could be so wrong.” A tear rolled down her face without her consent and she wiped it quickly, hoping Sam didn’t notice.

Sam’s grip tightened again, “Nicole Rayleigh Haught, you listen to me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with two boys, or two girls kissing. You are free to kiss or love whomever you want. Don’t let someone’s constricted view of the world keep you from doing the things you love.” He gave her a soft smile. 

“Thanks Sam.” She smiled, her nerves dissipating with each passing second.

“Any time Nic, but lets maybe wait another few years before you start kissing people again though, huh? I think you may still be a little young for all that.” The wink he shot her made her giggle a bit. He alway had a way of making the best out of an awkward situation.

Heat flushed her face, “I was jus’ curious! I don’t think I’m gonna be kissin’ anyone for a real long time anyways.”

“Oh but when you do, I better be the first to know.” Just like that he was back to his normal playful self.

“You’re so weird Sam! Obviously Waverly is going to be the first person to know. She is my best friend and all.” The huge smile that overtook her face gave her away in an instant.

“Oh excuse me for thinking we were best friends." He teased. "Just know that I’m here Nic and you can tell me whatever. No judgement, just a listening ear okay.” He brought his oversized hand up and ruffled her hair.

Nicole tried to dodge to no avail and ended up with a head of messy ready locks. She laughed as she batted his hand away. “I got it Sam. Thanks.”

“Anytime kid, anytime. Now you want to go check out the beach before it gets dark?” Nicole nodded fervently, she had never been to the beach and couldn’t wait for whatever else Sam had planned out for their trip.

His words settled her, but somewhere, in the deepest parts of her mind, her grandmother’s words quietly lingered. 

***

The two made the most out of their trip, stopping for multiple adventures on their route. She and Sam had even tried surfing at one of the beaches, but quickly decided they were not meant for the ocean. Instead, they kept to the shores and tide pools exploring the creatures and life that dwelled there. Nicole found some sand dollars and too many seashells to fit in her little pockets and at one point she even tried to sneak a starfish home for Waverly as well. Sam spotted the creature poking out of her overstuffed pocket and she was forced to put it back, lest it die.

They spent a day in Santa Monica visiting the pier and riding the rides before they continued their trip north, stopping at an old fishing wharf to whale watch. From there they made their way to San Francisco, where they camped in the forest, surrounded by the biggest trees she'd ever seen. Branches stretched high into the sky, the thick trunks considerably wider than the RV they were traveling in and for the first time in her life she felt just how insignificant and small she actually was. It made her realize there were bigger things in this world and no matter how bad her problems were, they were miniscule in the scope of the world. The woods were comforting and quiet and in the final few days they spent camping there, Nicole finally started to feel a weight lift from her shoulders. 

By the time they crossed back into Canada, the excitement from the trip was fading and Nicole was starting to get homesick. When September fifth came and went and they were a couple days behind schedule, she was starting to worry she wouldn't make it back in time for her best friend's birthday. She found solace in at least being able to call from a payphone when they crossed the border. Nicole tried to be grumpy about being behind schedule, but when Sam stopped at the wolf refugee on the seventh she couldn’t help the excitement that bubbled out of her. They spent the night that followed camped in the forest before they made the day long trip home. When they finally rolled into Purgatory late the following day, Nicole was entirely spent and was carried into bed by her equally tired uncle. She hadn’t even realized they were home until the next morning when the sun cut through her window and shone brightly through her room. She blinked the sleep from her eyes a couple times before she bolted up, realizing where she was. “I’m home!” she yelled at herself. Her little legs carried her downstairs straight to the phone, where she immediately dialed her best friend’s number. It rang what seemed like forever before a grouchy “Yeah?” broke though.

“Wynonna! It’s me, I’m home!” The overly excited redhead shouted through the receiver.

“Haught? Jesus Christ kid, tone it down will ya. It’s like seven in the damn morning.” Wynonna grumbled.

Seemingly undeterred, Nicole plowed forward, “Is Waves home? I’m comin’ over.”

“Dude, of course she’s home. Did you not hear me when I said it was seven in the goddamn morning? You know she likes to sleep in.” 

“I know, but I’m home, an’ I miss her, an’ it’s her birthday, an’ I got some presents for her. Oh I got somethin’ for you too. An’ I’m real excited cause we was gonna have a party an’ my Ma said we could make a cake and have dinner. An’ we ain’t talked for a few days, so she pro’ly don’t even think ima be here today!” Nicole rambled on until she had to take a break to breath.

A heavy sigh escaped from the depths of Wynonna’s soul. “Alright kid I get it, I get it. Chill out will you. I get it. You can come over, but only if you calm down and follow all my instructions. We’re gonna play a little birthday prank on Baby Girl.” Nicole could hear the mischievous smile tainting Wynonna’s words as she spoke. 

“Uh it’s not gonna be nothin’ mean right?” Nicole questioned.

Wynonna fake gasped, “How dare you insinuate I’d play a mean prank on my dear sweet angel baby sister on this, the day of her birth! We’re just gonna spook her a teensy bit. It’ll be a nice birthday surprise.” She chucked into the line.

Reluctantly Nicole agreed, for some reason, she was always easily persuaded by the older girl. Maybe she was just helpless to the charm of the Earp girls. And so they set their plan in action. Wynonna set up the diversion and made Waverly believe that not only was Nicole not home yet, but also that Wynonna had once again forgotten about her birthday. When Waverly moped down the homestead driveway, Nicole almost couldn’t contain her excitement and blew her cover. The surprise was worth the wait though, when she finally jumped from the bushes, Waverly’s heart wasn’t the only one that skipped a beat. She seemed smaller than before. Did she shrink since she last saw her? No that didn’t make sense, Nicole must have grown. Her clothes did seem a bit small recently. It didn’t matter, she was back and Waverly was in her arms and crawling up her like a damn little monkey. A huge smile split her face in two as she laughed and spun them around in circles. Home, after what seemed like an eternity, she was finally home.

***

Nicole was giddy with excitement when they biked back over to her house. True to her word, her mom and uncle had put together a small party for the youngest Earp complete with pizza and birthday cake. Wynonna and Doc came over and even Chrissy stopped by. The three younger girls played tag and hide and seek outside, then when they got tired from all the running around, they came in and played Mario Kart on the old Nintendo with Wynonna and Doc. Nicole won against everyone, except for Waverly, and although Wynonna called her out for letting the younger girl win, she couldn’t find it in herself to care. They ate dinner and sang happy birthday. Nine missed matched candles topped the cake, one of which was an old batman, head burnt down to the shoulders from years of use. Nicole had used it every birthday for as long as she could remember and she insisted it be one of the nine to grace Waverly’s cake. 

Excited to finally give Waverly her gifts, she shoveled her cake down so quickly she got the hiccups. “Wait here Waves.” Hiccup. “Ima be right back.” Hiccup. “Ima go get ya presents!” Nicole shouted as she ran off upstairs. Waverly just looked at her, a confused smile on her face. Nicole rushed back down with a small box of crudely wrapped gifts in her arms, threw them on the table then turned and ran outside.

“Nic where are you going!” Waverly called after her. 

Nicole didn’t even turn around, “Stay there!” was all she yelled.

After a couple minutes she came back in, out of breath, face red and flushed. “Ok you can open those now.” She huffed.

Waverly dug into her presents without a second thought. Seashells, three whole jars filled with seashells, one filled to the brim with beach sand, and a couple of sand dollars were pulled out with such care Nicole would have thought they were alive. “Cool Nic, these are so cool. Thank you.” A huge smile stretched across the younger girl’s face.

“Here, open this one too!” Nicole interrupted excitedly, handing Waverly a soft oddly shaped present about the size of Waverly’s little head.

Waverly took the suspicious gift cautiously, opening it slowly, as not to ruin the wrapping paper. A hint of green popped through, and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She tore into it, finally revealing the gift on the inside. A fluffy green stuffed cactus, with a goofy smiling face that somehow resembled the endearing ginger smiled up at her. “I love it Nic!” the brunette smiled as she hugged it to her chest. “It kind of looks like you.” she laughed.

“What?! No it doesn’t!” Nicole squeaked, unsuccessfully grabbing for the cactus as Waverly pulled it out of reach.

Wynonna laughed over her shoulder. “No, no, Haught Pants, it does actually kind of look like you. Was that on purpose?” Before she knew it the entire party was in agreeance that yes, the funny cactus with the goofy smile did in fact, intentionally or not, actually kind of look like Nicole Haught. 

“No! You guys all suck!” Nicole was bright red and so embarrassed she nearly forgot about her last and most important birthday surprise for young Waverly. “Oh, wait I almost forgot! Come on Waves I got one more thing for ya, but it’s outside. Leave the stupid cactus here.” She once again unsuccessfully tried to grab it from Waverly’s death grip.

“No, Nic! I love it, stop trying to take it back!” Waverly hissed.

Nicole put her hands up in surrender. “Fine Waves, but yer gonna need both hands for this one.” She smiled and took her free hand leading her to the doorway. “Close ya eyes, it’s a surprise.”

Waverly complied and Nicole walked them out onto the front porch. “Ok ya can open them!” Sitting in the yard was the same old bike that Nicole had flipped over into the pig pen on, what seemed like a lifetime ago. She and Sam had fixed it up as he promised and made it almost as good as new. They even finished it off with a nice pink paint job and sparkly silver tassels on the handlebars. A smile bigger than the grand canyon stretched across the younger girl’s face.

“Oh my god, Nic! Is, is that really for me?” The disbelief was blanketed across her face, her eyes wide and jaw to the ground as she walked over to the newly restored bike.

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck nervously, her boot toeing the dirt aggressively. “Ye- yeah. It was my ol’ one. From the ranch I mean. Sa- Sam helped me fix ‘er up, an’ I know she ain’t much, but I know ya wanted a bike an’ I ain’t really got no money so this was the best I could do. It’s okay if ya ain’t’t like it, it won’t hurt my feelings or nothin’. I wish I coulda got you a new one, bu-”

Her nervous rambling was interrupted by a fierce hug from the smaller girl. “Just shut up, Nic. It’s the best! You’re the best! I love it and I love you.” She mumbled into Nicole’s chest.

Nicole felt her heart stop and her breath catch in her throat. She tensed up for a split second and she was sure her entire body went red. Ain’t nobody other than her family ever told her they loved her before. Did she love Waverly? Thinking about it, she supposed she did, all the signs sure pointed to love. You ain’t supposed to miss someone you just like as much as she missed Waverly when they were apart. “I uh, I love ya too, Waves. I’m glad ya like it.” Nicole smiled into Waverly’s hair.

Wynonna, Doc and Chrissy left shortly after the big reveal, leaving Nicole and Waverly to finish the night off without them. The two cuddled up in Nicole’s bed as they had done a hundred times over and turned on the Lion King. Nicole cried like she always did when Mufasa died and Waverly laughed and snuggled her closer as if it were the reason she was put on this earth. Even through the tears, Nicole couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy and content, with not a single care in the world. She looked down at her best friend and the only thing that crossed her mind was love.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always come visit me on Twitter if you are interested in seeing what a messy ass bitch I actually am @actuallysoftAF
> 
> PS we'll be back in adult mode next week I promise!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after. the gang is adults again as promised and things start to heat up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok everyone, I've been super busy lately and haven't had a lot of free time to write. This is a shorter chapter but it's got some spice to hold you over for a bit, until we really heat up next chapter. 
> 
> Also next chapter might not be for a couple weeks, like I said, I have a lot going on right now so I'll do my best. 
> 
> Anyway follow me on twitter if you want, I mostly post nonsense but will occasionally post fic status and excerpts up before releasing a chapter. @actuallysoftAF 
> 
> Enjoy and as always, let me know what you think. I personally think it's getting better as I go.

Waverly July 7th 2019

The smell of fresh coffee and banana pancakes wafted through the air as Waverly finally conquered her embarrassment and pulled herself from the safety and warmth of Nicole's bed. She'd found a well worn t-shirt that she most definitely would be keeping and Nicole's shorts from last night and threw them on, making a pit stop at the bathroom to freshen up before completing her journey downstairs. 

She was alone, Dolls and Jeremy were nowhere to be seen and she could hear Wynonna snoring her head off upstairs. Either Rosita was the heaviest sleeper in the world, or she had left as well. Save for the muted sounds of music and the occasional power tools coming from the garage next door, it was dead quiet. It was only around eight, so Nicole must have gotten up insanely early considering their late night. 

She made herself a plate of food and a cup of coffee with Nicole's disposable kitchenware. Sighing at the absurdity of it all. She really did need to have a conversation about the environmental impact and general wastefulness of this whole situation. Not to mention Nicole was 25 years old, "bachelor" or not, (she hoped not for much longer) it was time she grew up some. If Waverly and Wynonna were going to be spending more time there, they would not continue to eat off paper plates and drink from disposal cups. 

Waverly ate her breakfast in the soft silence of the empty kitchen, an attempt to steel herself for her inevitable discussion with her former best friend. Sure she was stalling, but as bits and pieces of the night before came back in flashes, a sly smile crept its way onto her face. God, how could one person be simultaneously so cute, and funny and sexy as hell all at the same time? It really wasn't fair. Whatever they had going on between them, Waverly was determined to make it last. She shoved the last bite of pancake in her mouth and washed it all down with a large gulp of now lukewarm coffee. 

Following the sounds from the garage, Waverly gathered her courage and made her way over. The large door was pulled all the way open, some obscure metal music blaring all around. She wasn't sure if it was the heavy bass from the song or her own heart thumping loudly in her chest at the sight she walked in on. The hood of the Corvette was popped, Nicole was bent over the engine, her long limbs stretched and muscles tensed as she reached a particularly awkward angle. Waverly’s mouth went dry and all the air felt like it was sucked from her lungs. Now that certainly wasn’t fair. Up until that moment, she had a whole speech planned out, a whole plan to ask Nicole on a proper date without making an utter fool of herself. But, when Nicole turned, slightly startled by Waverly’s presence, every thought she had in that genius brain of hers went right on out the window. 

A huge dimpled smile split Nicole's face in two, grease and dirt smudged against the red tinge of her sunburnt skin. Waverly swallowed thickly taking in the full sight in front of her. Sunburnt shoulders met a grease covered white tank top, tucked snuggly into a set of navy coveralls tied at her waist by the arms. It did nothing to hide her curves or her muscles or her very on display cleavage and Waverly, despite her ability to speak four different languages, could not form even a single word in any of them. The second their eyes met, Nicole looked back down, her cheeks even redder than before. Was Nicole embarrassed? She shouldn't be considering she gave Waverly one of the hottest nights of her life and they didn't even get passed second base. Screw it, she'd definitely need more of that if she was expected to continue a life here on earth, she might as well get it over with.

“Wav-”

“Nico-”

Both stopped mid word as they interrupted each other. Brown eyes finally locked back onto hazel and silence ate away the air around them. Had the music stopped or did she lose the ability to hear as well. She nodded her head and gestured for Nicole to continue, as her own words had momentarily failed her.

In the same way she had done the first day they met, Nicole rubbed the back of her neck roughly and proceeded into a nervous ramble. “Wa- Waverly, I know last night got pretty intense pretty quick, and well, I’m real sorry if I crossed any lines that you weren’t ready to cross, but yesterday may have been the best damn day of my life. And I can’t believe you’re back in my life. It honestly seems like a dream. I was out here, working on this car and thinking there’s no way this could possibly be real. There's no way in hell, Waverly Earp is upstairs topless in my bed right now. Even when I woke up this morning all out of sorts, feeling like hell, I couldn’t believe that it was you, laying pretty much on top of me, clinging to me like a damn koala bear. I’m actually surprised you didn’t wake up when I slipped out from underneath. You kinda had a death grip on me. I mean we did have a really late night and there were lots of alcohol and weed involved, but I meant everything I said, from what I can remember anyway. Things got a little hazy somewhere along the way.” Nicole laughed, fumbling her way through, a hopeful smile on her face the entire time. Waverly continued to look at the older girl in awe. She was so beautiful and endearing, and even through her nervousness, there was a confidence or self assurance hidden just beneath the surface. Something that was always there, but had maybe been buried too deep to make an appearance. “Anyways, I was wondering if maybe, I ain’t trying to be too forward or nothing, but maybe, I figured you might want to get some food or something sometime. With me that is. Obviously with me. Together, just the two of us.” Nicole had walked over and stood so close to her that their toes were almost touching. She smelled like sweat, and grease, and vanilla, and she even had a slight tinge of alcohol seeping through her pores, but none of that made Waverly want to pull her in close any less. Long fingers disappeared deep into the pockets of her coveralls as she rocked back and forth on her heels. Soft brown eyes stared back at her, a perfect row of teeth biting anxiously on a lower lip, awaiting the answer to the question left hanging in the air. 

Oh shit. Words, she needed words. She could do this, she knew words, lots of them actually. Why weren’t any of them coming to her in her time of need. Of course she wanted to go on a date with Nicole. She was asking her on a date right? Or did she just want to spend more time together to catch up. It could always be both she supposed. No, no not after last night, this was definitely a date, and if it wasn't already, it sure as shit was going to be now.

Nicole opened her mouth to speak again but Waverly cut her off before any sound left her throat. "Nicole, what in the raspberry hell are you rambling on about? I think all I've wanted to do since I saw you again is to go on a date with you." Eyes down, Waverly softly tugged on the tied sleeves at Nicole’s hips, bringing them in so they were mere inches apart. She looked back up into Nicole’s beaming brown orbs through her own lashes and there was really only one other thing she could think about. Yes, Nicole was filthy and smelled a little funky but standing that close, with the redhead smiling back at her, she couldn't help but reach up to the back of Nicole's neck and pull her down for a kiss.

Nicole tensed as soon as their lips touched. A moment of doubt flashed through Waverly's mind and she began to pull away, only to have a set of dirty hands grip her waist and draw her in closer. Nicole smiled into the kiss and Waverly immediately felt the need to deepen it. Their entire fronts were touching now, Nicole's arm wrapped snugly around her waist and her own hand tangled in fiery red locks, holding her in place. Unlike the night before, with a mind clouded by intoxication, she felt everything and more. Nicole's tongue teased her lips and she accepted without a second thought. When Nicole's hands dipped down to grab her ass, the moan that left her mouth was downright filthy. Nicole lifted her easily, Waverly wrapping both legs around a strong core, she was carried over to a desk. With one hand, Nicole swept everything off the top in one go and had Waverly sat down visibly vibrating beneath her. Nicole smirked at Waverly’s disheveled state, knowing exactly what she was doing to her, before going back in for more. She trailed hot kisses and soft bites down the curve of Waverly's jaw, to the dip of her neck and finally to the base of her collarbone where she bit down harshly, only to soothe it with her tongue not a second later. Arousal shot straight to the brunette's core, and all she could think was where else she wanted that mouth, what else that mouth could do.

Maybe if she hadn't been more turned on than she'd ever been in her entire life, she would have felt at least the slightest bit embarrassed. She couldn't think, hell she could barely even breath all she knew was she needed Nicole and she needed her now. Shaking hands made their way down to grease stained coverall sleeves when she felt Nicole's hands on her own. Panic shone through Waverly’s eyes. Shit she’d gotten carried away and took it too far.

“Waves wait.” Nicole panted through kiss swollen lips. 

“Nooo, Nic.” Waverly whined, sounding way more needy than she intended.

“I know baby, but I am so fucking dirty right now. I can’t touch you like this, it wouldn’t be right.” She rested their foreheads together, an attempt to compose herself, Waverly supposed. “I’m gonna go ahead and assume that was a resounding yes to my earlier question though?” Nicole smirked, and if she hadn’t been holding Waverly down, she was sure she’d have gone right ahead and floated away.

A breathy laugh filled the air. “You always were a bit slow on the uptake Nicole. Of course that was a yes. I don’t just go around having random make out sessions with just any insanely hot redheads that cross my path for the heck of it.” Nicole looked at her like she was the light of her world, the sun her earth orbited around, the stars in her sky and if that weren’t something she missed all these years she didn’t know what was. Deft fingers knotted back into soft red hair, dragging Nicole down to meet her lips once again. The kiss was soft and sweet and left Waverly pulsating with need. Her lips drug from Nicole’s mouth to her ear lobe, in hopes the offer she was about to make would be too much to turn down. “You know, your hands may be filthy, but your mouth seems to be just fine.” She ended with a bite and soft lick to Nicole’s ear, her request leaving no doubt about where exactly she actually wanted that mouth.

***

Nicole

Dear god, Waverly Earp was fixin’ to be the death of her. When she woke this morning she figured there was no way her day was getting any better than it already was, with the half naked brunette holding onto her like she was a life preserver in the middle of a vast ocean. It was good to be wrong on occasion and oh how wrong she had been. Waverly's breath was hot against her ear, her tongue elicited goosebumps over what felt like her entire body and her hips thrusted unexpectedly between Waverly’s thighs, shaking the desk beneath her.

"Are you sure?" Despite herself she pulled back to look into the younger woman's eyes, searching for any signs of hesitation. They stared, arousal filled eyes locked into each other. 

"I'm sure." Waverly said with the sexiest little smirk she ever did see. And Nicole never was one to turn down a good thing.

Mouths were on mouths, tongues dancing together like they had been doing it a lifetime. Nicole pushed Waverly’s shirt up above her chest and her mouth was on her in an instant. Her tongue swirled around a nipple, biting gently as she drug her teeth away and to the other side. Waverly was breathing heavily under her, but gave off no indication of wanting to slow down.

Instead, she pushed herself more into Nicole grabbing the hairs at the nape of her neck to coax her down further. "More, I need more."

And how was she supposed to refuse an offer like that? Her trembling hands ripped the shorts and underwear off Waverly’s lower half in one sweep, leaving them hanging sloppily from her ankles. Waverly gasped at the suddenness of it all. And then Nicole was on her knees, licking a hot trail up Waverly's thigh, only one destination in mind. She could hear her name being called, muffled behind the thumping music and strangled moans. Her brain must have misfired though, because she never really did comprehend the voice in her head as anything but that, until it was far, far too late.

"Holy fucking shit! Sweet mother of God! Are you fucking kidding me! Jesus Christ, how can this happen twice within 24 hours!" Oh. That was Wynonna calling her name… And shit there really was no good way to react to a situation like that. Nicole was frozen in place, tongue still at the dip of Waverly's bikini line, eyes wide and wild.

"Nicole!" Waverly screeched, pulling her shirt back down and pushing Nicole's head away quickly. Then and only then did Nicole jump into action, pulling Waverly’s shorts back up her legs as quickly as they had dropped. Waverly was the darkest shade of crimson she'd ever seen and she was sure she wasn't fairing much better. Hopefully Wynonna would just drop it and they could get on with their day. Wishful thinking if she ever did say so. Wynonna was never one to let their embarrassment die with at least a shred of dignity. 

"Eye bleach, I'm gonna need eye bleach to unsee that." Wynonna was turned around, rubbing her eyes aggressively like that would help rid herself of the image likely seared into her brain.

"Maybe if you would have knocked you could have spared everyone here some emotional trauma!" Nicole spoke through gritted teeth. She was still standing between Waverly’s legs, her hands gripping her thighs firmly. 

"Nicole, the entire front of the garage was open! Of course I just walked in! I didn't think you'd be defiling my baby sister first thing in the morning!" Wynonna shouted, her back still turned to the duo. 

Well shit. She was so consumed by everything that is Waverly, she had completely forgotten that one important detail. "Fuck." She dropped her head to Waverly's shoulder in defeat. "I'm sorry Waves, I shoulda made sure the door was locked." She sighed. 

"Yeah or at least closed, dummy." Wynonna snorted behind her.

Nicole glared at the older woman. "You ain't gonna let this one go are you?"

"Oh definitely not Haught Pants, definitely not. Was it good at least Baby Girl?" Wynonna snickered. 

"Wynonna, shut up!" Waverly squeaked, throwing a rogue roll of duct tape at her sister in hopes of shutting her up. Wynonna dodged expertly and continued to laugh. Waverly pushed Nicole back, hopping off the desk with ease. “Okay, I’ve had just about enough of that. We are leaving. Call me later Nic. We’ll set something up. I’m pretty free whenever.” She planted one quick kiss to Nicole’s lips before, grabbing her idiot sister by her shirt and dragging her away.

“Bye Waves, bye Asshole.” Nicole laughed, some of the tension leaving her body as the siblings walked away. Waverly blew her a kiss complete with a little wink while Wynonna gave her a halfhearted glare. And then they were gone, as quickly as they hurricaned back into her life, they skipadooed right back out. Not for good though, this time, this time there was no way in hell Nicole was letting Waverly Earp slip through her fingers again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much just a short continuation of that last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I know it's been a couple weeks but here it is. I've been dealing with a little writer's block and am struggling with where to go and how to end this. I will say next chapter we meet kid Dolls and some wild shit happens.  
> Sorry I haven't been able to stick to a more frequent posting schedule the past few weeks but I've had a lot going on and as an adult, semi-human person I have been forced to deal as such. Also I've been intoxicated waaaaay too often this month and that probably has something to do with it as well.  
> As always Kudos and comments are always appreciated. It's nice to know if I'm doing an ok job here.

Nicole July 2019

The following days crept by at a snail’s pace. It was only Tuesday, Nicole had been so caught up in finishing the car on time that she not only hadn’t seen Waverly since she left her house on Sunday, but also barely managed a few texts and one very late night phone call. She felt that familiar itch she grew so aware of as a kid, the constant pull of her heart to be as close to Waverly as humanly possible. At least she was finally done with the Corvette, and when the shipping truck came to pick it up late in the afternoon, she felt like she could finally breathe again. Sure she still had an ass load of work to do, but most of it wasn’t due to ship out for a few more weeks so she had a few days to spare. She needed to get right in her head, the tension of how she and Waverly left things over the weekend was building a thick fog in her brain. It was all she could think about, day in and day out, Waverly ran through her mind. She felt like a kid again, meeting her soon to be best friend for the first time, wanting to spend every waking and sleeping second of every day with her. It should have surprised her, that eagerness to learn everything about her, the need to be by her side every step of the way, it was a lot for only reuniting a few days ago. But it all felt right, more right than anything maybe ever did. So that Tuesday, after that big ol’ truck loaded up the beautiful old Corvette, Nicole hopped on her Harley and made the short drive to the Earp homestead, her heart yearning to see the other girl again. 

She took their old bike path, the one nearly forgotten with time. A trail once smooth and carved out with use was now bumpy, overgrown with weeds and ravished by the elements. Even through the brush that consumed it, it was still familiar, every twist and turn engraved into her body like muscle memory. As soon as she had some free time, she'd be sure to fix it up. It was the shortest way between their homes after all. The nostalgia flooded through her as she passed the trail to the old tree house. The structure once in disarray, now stood proudly off in the distance, barely noticeable, hidden by the pines that surrounded it. She smiled thinking of that night all them years ago, during the huge storm that stranded them up there, Wynonna swooping in out of nowhere to save the day. There were so many memories of them she'd thought she'd lost, but there they stayed, buried beneath regret and longing of things that could have been.

The homestead was a shell of what it once was, although it never was much to talk about in the first place. She'd definitely have to get that up to par as well. She couldn't have the Earp girls living in shambles while she knew damn well there was something she could do about it. 

Her bike rumbled down the familiar driveway, tires crunching on the gravel beneath it. Shit, Waverly’s red jeep was nowhere to be seen, just the beat up old Ford that had Wynonna written all over it. She thought about turning around and just calling Waverly to set something up, but if Wynonna was home, she might as well spend some time with her too. She parked her bike over by the barely standing old barn and prayed to god today wasn’t the day it decided to come crashing down. The old wood planks creaked beneath her as she took the steps up the porch and to the front door. The faint sound of music and singing (was that the Hanson?) drifted to her ears and she knew at least someone had to be home. She knocked hard four times against the weathered wood of the old door and waited. The heat from the early July sun beat down on the back of her neck, her Stetson offering little in the way of protection. The music paused and by the grumbling and shuffling inside she knew she had caught Wynonna. The door swung open and the look on Wynonna’s face went from disgruntled to overly enthusiastic in an instant. The two stared, smiling like idiots for a second too long before Nicole spoke. “I brought booze and weed.” She said holding out a twelve pack of beer towards the brunette.

In a sharp contrast to the outside, the inside of the old house was sporting a fresh coat of paint and some brand spanking new furnishings. At least they weren’t living in complete shambles, Nicole thought. The two sat in the newly remodeled Earp living room, nursing a case of beer and generally just bullshiting while they waited for Waverly to get home. When they finally heard the jeep tear into the driveway, Wynonna sprung into action. “Shit, Haught! Quick hide Waverly’s back!”

Nicole was on her feet in the blink of an eye, confusion and excitement rushing through her brain. “Wha- What? Why?” She questioned.

“Just fucking hide! We’re gonna spook her, for old times sake! Just like we always did when we were kids!” Wynonna was shuffling around the room, seemingly trying to erase evidence that she had company.

Nicole sighed, she did like to play little pranks and if it was for old times sake she supposed she could be persuaded. “Fine Wy. Where do you want me?” She heard the door to the jeep slam closed and knew they were running out of time.

“Kitchen! She was out getting groceries. She’ll go there first!” Wynonna whisper yelled, unsuccessfully hopping over the back of the couch just to fall ungracefully to the other side. Nicole stifled a laugh, but did as she was told. 

She heard the door creak open, making way for a very irritated Waverly. “Wynonna, could you get off your ass for five minutes and help me with this.” It was not a question.

Wynonna grumbled off the couch and let out an overly exaggerated “Fine” before continuing. “Just go put that stuff in the kitchen and I’ll get the rest.”

Nicole heard the sound of soft steps moving closer and her excitement grew. She was barely able to contain herself, so by the time Waverly turned the corner, arms fully loaded with her reusable shopping bags, Nicole may have overreacted just a smidge. “Waverly!” Nicole shouted, shooting up from her crouched position behind the wall, nearly colliding with the younger woman. 

Waverly

“Fucking balls!” Waverly screeched, dropping her bags to the floor. Wynonna was laughing so hard Nicole was sure she saw tears in her eyes and she couldn’t really blame her. Startling Waverly never seemed to lose its appeal so she laughed too, how could she not. Waverly held her hand to her chest, like her heart would just fly away if she didn’t hold it in place. “Nicole! What the heck was that!” she yelled, slapping her arm. 

Nicole was laughing so hard now she could hardly get her words out. “I, I’m so, so sorry. I, I can’t breathe! We got… we got you so fuckin’ good!” 

"Oh my god, Waves! You jumped so high I'm surprised your shoes stayed on!" Wynonna cackled like a damn hyena from behind her.

“God damn it Wynonna! I knew it was you that put her up to this!” Waverly turned and shoved a pointed finger harshly into her idiot sister's chest. "You leave my gentle, sweet Nicole out of your stupid pranks! You always drag her into dumb shit!"

"Ow" Wynonna whined, rubbing softly at her chest. "That’s gonna bruise Waves."

"Good! You deserve it. You two scared the living daylights out of me!" Waverly huffed, crossing her arms protectively across her chest. 

Nicole's laughter had petered out to a stifled giggle, upon seeing Waverly's little pouty face. "Oh I'm sorry Lil' Bean. What can I do to make it better?" Nicole smirked. She was quickly closing in on Waverly, the sudden close proximity, making her skin tingle with excitement. 

"Nicole, stop." Waverly whimpered, a playful smile breaking through. Nicole continued her advance, making Waverly back up all the way until her back hit the kitchen counter. 

Nicole leaned in, her hands bracing on the counter on either side of Waverly's petite frame. Her breath was baited and she shivered when Nicole dipped down, her low voice was hot on Waverly's neck. "Tell me how to make it better, Baby."

Waverly swallowed hard, her words thick in her throat, "Ni- Nicole."

"Tell me." Nicole husked. Her normally gentle brown eyes were dark, consumed with arousal and mischief as they stared right into Waverly’s own. 

There were a million ways Nicole could make it better, but Waverly couldn’t even form a cohesive thought, let alone think of a punishment appropriate enough for this scenario. Nicole could scare her any day of the week, if she continued to make her feel the way she was feeling in that moment. It took everything in her to not pull Nicole into her and let her have her way with her right there on the kitchen counter.

"Ok, I really don't think my eyes can handle any more of you mushy assholes. I've seen more than a lifetime's worth of all of that in the span of a few days. I'll just go get the rest of the groceries. Please don't fuck my baby sister on the kitchen counter Haught. Lord knows she wouldn't stop you right now." Wynonna laughed as she made her way towards the door.

Nicole dropped her head into the dip of Waverly's neck and chucked. "It would be the perfect payback, since I'm pretty sure you fucked Rosita on mine! But alas, I am not an animal and my sweet angel Waverly deserves much more than a kitchen counter for our first time." Nicole never touched her anywhere other than where her head fell but when she pulled away, Waverly could still feel the ghost of her hovering over her vibrating body. The past few days had been nothing but building tension and Waverly was ready to explode, kitchen counter be damned. But Nicole backed away, following Wynonna outside and the moment was lost. As she closed the door behind her, she turned and shot Waverly a wink, and she was sure, in that moment, she actually died.

***

The three girls enjoyed a quiet evening together, reminiscing and catching up on all the twists and turns life had thrown at them. If Waverly had snuggled any tighter into Nicole’s side, they would have merged together completely. It was late and the excitement from the afternoon had dwindled down. Wynonna had since passed out on the recliner while she and Nicole quietly watched Netflix. She felt Nicole shift under her and held on tighter. 

"Waves, it's almost midnight, I need to get home." Nicole said as she kissed The side of Waverly's head.

"Nooo, you can just stay here. You're warm and it's cold out." She whined. 

Nicole let out a snort. "Waves, it's the middle of summer. It's mildly cool at night if anything. Besides, I have a ton of work to get done in the morning if we're going to have a date on Saturday." 

Waverly perked up immediately at that and sat up, releasing her hold on Nicole. "We’re going on a date on Saturday?” She questioned, with pure amusement.

“Why yes of course. As long as that is okay with you. I did ask you on a date the other day, I have a whole thing planned out.” Nicole stood from the couch in an attempt to free herself from Waverly completely. 

Waverly was beaming at her from her spot on the couch as Nicole walked away to grab her hat from the side table. “I mean, if you insist, I guess I have no other choice.” She smiled.

Nicole smirked, “I’ll pick you up at six for dinner.” then bent down and kissed Waverly quickly on the lips. Waverly tried to grab her and pull her in for more, but Nicole was too fast and she had pulled away and was already halfway out the door by the time Waverly even realized what was going on. “See you on Saturday Waves! Can’t have you ruining your appetite before our date.” Then, Nicole aimed a wink straight at her heart and was gone in the blink of an eye. She was almost glad she left quite honestly. 

If Nicole had stayed even a second longer things may not have ended in such a PG manner. And while Waverly wanted that seemingly more than anything in the world right now, Nicole was right. That moment had been years in the making and if they were going to do it, she wanted it to at least be somewhere they wouldn’t run the risk of traumatizing her sister for the third time in a week. So she would wait for their date and she would struggle with the overwhelming desire to run to Nicole’s house and beg her to take her in all the ways she had dreamed about when she was nothing but a confused seventeen year old kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I promise next adult chapter we may or may not get some smex. Who knows, I know i've been a damn tease for over 58,000 words now.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Nicole Haught. Nicole's mom is acting sus. Some stuff happens we meet little Dolls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo what up everyone. I'm back, sort of. sorry for the unintentional extended hiatus. I kind of had a tiny super unconcerning mental health meltdown. Honestly it's more surprising that it didn't happen sooner. Anyway, I chopped all my beautiful curly hair off and dyed it turquoise and pink so I think I'm back at 100% again.  
> I'm gonna try and have 1 more chapter out in the next few days. It's like the second part of this chap and it's already halfway written. After that we will be back in the land of the adults and I believe I have a promise to uphold on that end.  
> Anyway enjoy and as always let me know what you think.

Nicole July 2005 11yrs

The summer of her fifth grade year had brought about a whole new set of challenges in Nicole’s seemingly simple life. Throughout the year she had been left in the not so responsible care of Wynonna, while her Ma spent the occasional night on the town. She supposed Waverly was doing alright under her care, so she'd probably survive just as well. She still wasn't allowed to stay at the homestead, but it really was hard to complain when she could spend nearly every weekend cuddled up in her bed with Waverly right next to her. Wynonna was also very pleased with the situation as not only would Nicole's mom pay her, but she would also leave enough for them to order dinner as well. It was like she knew there was no way in hell she was going to get Wynonna to cook for her. Even if she did, Nicole was kind of starting to like her life again and was in no hurry to end it by consuming something Wynonna attempted to make. 

Throughout the few months her mom had been going out, Nicole had never really considered where she was, or what she was doing. So when her weekend was blindsided by a knock at the door from a tall dark stranger and stoic looking boy, she was more than a little perturbed. When the older man spoke his voice was booming and warm, and she immediately hated him.

"Hello there, you must be Nicole. I'm Erik and this is my son Xavier." He extended his hand and Nicole recoiled, her face twisted in confusion. "Well do you mind if we come in?"

Who were these people and why did they want in her house? Her dad would never allow a stranger and his weird kid into his home. She stood stock still, glaring at the two so hard she might have been growling at them as well. What the heck is going on here she thought, as she tried to figure out what exactly was going on. They stared in silence far too long, before her mom strolled down the stairs to save them from the glare of her small daughter. 

"Oh Erik, Xavier, you're here! Nicole, don't be rude, they are our guests. Let them in and quit acting like a darn guard dog." Her mom quipped, ignoring her daughter’s scowl.

"This is my home and I will guard the heck out of it if I please." Nicole huffed, still not moving aside from the doorway. "I don't even know who these people are." She said, never taking her squinted eyes off the two.

"Nicky, we talked about this remember. I told you a couple nights ago we were going to have dinner with my friend and his son. Please just behave for one night." 

Nicole searched her brain for any recollection of this conversation. Maybe there was something rattling around in the corner, but Waverly was over for dinner that night so really, anything her mom said to her went in one ear and right out the other. "But Waverly was supposed to come over tonight. She comes over every Saturday." She reasoned, a slight panic to her voice. 

Kelly sighed "Nicky, I think the two of you will be just fine spending one weekend apart. I swear the two of you have been practically inseparable since the day you met. Now move aside, quit being a grouch, and let our guests in."

At that Nicole finally stepped aside, with an exaggerated grumble of obvious objection and finally let their company in.

Dinner consisted of typical small talk. Erik pretended to be interested in Nicole’s hobbies and life, but really the only things Nicole really loved were Waverly Earp, comics, video games and basketball in that order. And no matter what, everything she talked about seemed to lead her back to one tiny little brunette. Every time she strayed she'd receive a pointed stare and the occasional nudge to the shin to keep her on track. The only problem was, Nicole never had anything other than a one track mind and Waverly had infiltrated that a couple years ago now. Erik laughed and insisted it was fine when her mother apologized on her behalf, said he wished he had a friend like Waverly growing up.

When dinner was finished and the conversation started to peter out, Nicole was told to take Xavier upstairs so they could play while the adults continued talking. 

Nicole liked Xavier, he was quiet and didn't ask her much about her personal life. And even though he was about two years older, they had plenty of shared interests. He liked legos and video games and comics just like she did and it made their forced night together just a little more bearable. After an hour or so of mario kart, he did loosen up a bit and let a few things about his own like slip out when Nicole grew curious enough to ask about the whereabouts of his mother. She assumed he already knew about her dad since everyone and their mother seemed to know pretty much the day after it happened. 

His expression never changed and his eyes stayed focused on the screen as he answered with little to no emotion in his voice. "Never really knew her, she left when I was a baby. My dad said we couldn't expect her to take care of me if she couldn't even take care of herself."

"Do you miss her?" Nicole inquired softly.

Xavier let out a small laugh that took Nicole by surprise. "You can't really miss someone you never knew." He shrugged like that was that and changed the subject before Nicole even knew what was happening. "They're dating you know, my dad and your mom. I think they're a couple."

Nicole gasped, offended by the accusation that her mom would commit such a betrayal. "What? No they are not! My mom would never date anyone but my dad!"

"Okay, but I should probably warn you, they are probably downstairs making out right now. Why do you think they sent us up here?" The words leaving Xavier's mouth were way too relaxed for the significance of this situation. Nicole could feel the anger and anxiety filling her body in a way she hadn't felt in months. 

"Stop! They probably ain't wanna hang out with two kids. I know I didn't want to hang and be bored by them all night." As much as Nicole’s little brain didn't want to admit it, everything was starting to add up. But denial is a tricky thing and can blind you to what is right in front of your own face and so Nicole proceeded on. "Look ima go down there right now an' ask. It's definitely nothin'!" Nicole threw her controller to the floor and stormed out of her bedroom before Xavier could stop her. He only sighed before he got up to follow her out. "Ma, Xavier said-" Nicole stopped mid sentence as her brain short circuited at the sight she walked in on. Her mom and Erik were sitting far too close on the couch and Erik was kissing her… on the mouth. "You get away from my ma, you bastard!" Nicole screamed before charging head on to the far bigger man that had his grimy hands on her beautiful mother. And then she punched him square in his handsome face. Her little hand stung with the force, but she barely noticed anything behind the cloak of red that had invaded her mind. It was somewhere between the punch and the attempted biting and scratching that Nicole blacked out and turned into an actual rabid animal and she was unceremoniously ripped away from her prey in a far too firm bear hug by her mother.

"Nicole, stop!" Her mother commanded. Nicole did not stop. She flailed and screamed strings of obscenities in an attempt to get at the man of the hour. "Jesus Christ, I am so sorry Erik, please don't leave. Let me just deal with her and I'll be down to see you off." Kelly said as she carried Nicole upstairs to her bedroom, leaving Erik and Xavier alone in the now empty living room to try to piece together the last few minutes.

At eleven and a half years old, Nicole was skinny as a string bean, but already almost as tall as her petite mother, so it was no surprise when Kelly barely made it up the stairs with the ball of fury that was her child. She slammed the door behind with a swift kick and continued to hug her daughter in an attempt to calm her. "It's ok Nicky, I'm fine. Everything is okay. Just breath."

Nicole's body trembled and hot tears streamed down her red face. "No! It's not, he kissed you! I let him in as a guest and he kissed you! I'm gonna fucking kill him!" She growled.

"Jesus Nicole, language! Where did you even hear that? Wait nevermind, I guess Wynonna has been hanging around a lot lately." Kelly sighed. 

"Yeah, because you've been running 'round with  _ Erik _ e'ery chance you got! AND NOW HE THINKS YOU WANT TO KISS HIM!" Nicole yelled. 

"I do want to kiss him Nicole! I kissed him, or well we kissed each other. I was going to tell you. I promise I was going to tell you. That's why he came over tonight. Now please calm down so I can go downstairs and send him home before we talk about this."

"No! How dare you do this to us." Nicole growled as she tried to kick free of her mother's grip. "Lemme go so I can punch him in his stupid face again."

With seemingly nothing getting through and her patience wearing thin, Kelly Haught finally pulled out the big guns. The one thing she knew for a fact would stop Nicole dead in her tracks. "Nicole stop right now before I call Waverly and she sees just how out of control you are right now!" She scolded.

And Nicole froze in an instant. Waverly was not only her strength, but her greatest weakness. She was her kryptonite and her mom knew just how to use it against her. "How dare you bring Waverly into this, you monster." Nicole grumbled, the defeated little thing she was.

Kelly let out a breath of relief as her daughter finally started to relax in her arms. "Are you done?"

Nicole turned her head to scowl at her mom the best she could, still locked from behind in a tight bear hug. "For now."

Kelly loosened her grip and spun Nicole around to look at her. Her face was red and tear streaked, her red hair a disheveled mess atop her head. "Please just stay put while I send them home and then we'll have a full conversation and I'll explain everything. You can ask me whatever you want and I'll be straight with you. And then if Erik decides he still wants to hang around after you attacked him like a wild animal, you will apologize the most heartfelt apology you've ever made. Deal?"

"Fine, but you can't tell Waverly I punched him." Nicole mumbled.

"Fine."

Nicole sat in silence, while she awaited her mom's return, her mind filled with thoughts and voices and even more jumbled up than normal. The late nights and frequent weekends in Wynonna's care, seemed to all be a ruse to make time for this Erik dude. It took everything in her to stay put and not rush back downstairs for round two. But she stayed, the fear of Waverly's disappointment in her actions hanging heavy on her shoulders. Maybe punching him wasn’t the best move, but her body reacted in the only way it knew how when her mind said protect. Her mom didn't need protecting though, she had kissed his stupid face because she wanted to. She felt betrayed and heartbroken and more confused than ever. So she sat, her legs pulled tight to her chest and her back against the wall, as she quietly grumbled and contemplated what this meant for her life.

A soft knock at the door startled her back to present. "Nicky I'm coming in okay." Nicole glared at her mother, but did nothing else. There was nothing good about this situation. The bed dropped down the slightest when Kelly took a seat next to an angry Nicole, jostling and frustrating her even further. "Nicole I am so sorry you found out this way. You did not deserve to be blindsided like that."

"I just don't understand what's going on. What about dad. How could you do this to him?" Nicole was still huddled in on herself, her little body shaking as she willed herself not to cry. That really was the root of her disapproval was it not. The question rolled back and forth around her all but empty brain.

"I'm lonely Nicole. I miss him so much it hurts, but I just need to have someone in my corner, just like you have Waverly." Kelly sighed. 

She must have hit a nerve, "Waverly is not my girlfriend! It's different, you kissed him! I've never kissed her!" Nicole's mind shot back to the kiss she shared with Kate a couple years ago and how she did in fact think of her best friend while her lips were pressed tightly against the other girl's. Oh no, now all she could think about was kissing Waverly. It was actually happening more often than not these days. They'd just be hanging around as normal when Waverly would say or do something and it would take every ounce of willpower she had to hold herself back.

"Maybe it's not so different." Kelly mumbled, setting Nicole off all over again.

"What the French toast is that supposed to mean!" She shouted, her voice hitting tones much higher than even she thought possible. 

"Nicole look, I know this is going to be difficult for you to understand but I'm still young. It's been almost two years since your father left us and I'm finally ready to find someone that can support me the same ways Waverly supports you." Kelly said as Nicole leveled a glare at her.

"He didn't just leave! He was taken! You act like he had a choice." Nicole grumbled, her last few words petering out into a barely audible mumble towards the end.

A heavy sigh escaped her mom's lungs. "Nicky do you really think being the man your father was, he'd want me to spend the rest of my days lonely and sad?" 

Nicole furrowed her eyebrows in response. Was her mom really that miserable? Was she not enough to keep her happy anymore? "Why are you lonely? Am I not enough?" The words rolled from her mouth in little more than a whisper, and Nicole held herself tighter as she awaited a response. 

With a soft smile her mom answered the best way she knew how. "Of course you are sweetheart. Nicky, my life revolves around you, but one day soon you're going to grow up and build a life of your own. And if you're lucky, you may even fall in love just like your father and I did."

Nicole snorted at that bit. There was no way she was falling in love with anyone. She was doing very well with just her and Waverly. And when they grow up they would obviously renovate the old tree house and live there where no one would ever bother them. Really she could live anywhere as long as Waverly was there. Waverly who always seemed to take the worst parts of her and make them seem not so scary. Waverly, with her soft hair and hazel eyes, always walking around smelling like sunshine and wildflowers and making Nicole's head spin. Waverly, who sometimes, on rare occasion, she would think about kissing. 

Her mom had continued on, but her words had turned to background noise in the far corner of Nicole's mind. The realization of what she had been thinking was like a sucker punch to the heart. Oh no. That wasn't possible. Waverly was her best friend of course she liked her. The more she thought about it though, the more she released she didn't just like her, she liked her, liked her. Probably even loved her. And shit, what was she supposed to do about that.

"Nicole, where'd you go? Are you listening?" Concern laced her mom's voice as she tried to coax Nicole back to reality. Nicole really hadn't heard a lick of what her mom said following her speech about falling in love. She was too stuck in her own head, the thick walls of her skull, easily keeping her there. 

Nicole met her mom's eyes, confusion, panic and dread clouding her vision. Behind it all though there was a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, one day Waverly would feel the same. She could wait though. As long as it took she would wait. 

The Erik problem was the furthest thing from her mind now, she closed her eyes tightly for a half a second, trying to organize her thoughts before finally addressing her mom. "Jus' don't kiss him in front of me, kay." Nicole sniffled. "He can be your boyfriend or whatever, I jus' ain't ready to see all that grossness. I ain't think no one is really." She chuckled lightly, hoping her mom would leave it at that so she could waller in the self realization that she was more likely than not, in love with her best friend. 

Kelly gave her a soft smile and pulled her into an overly tight hug as Nicole tried to wiggle away. "Okay Bug, it's a deal, for now anyway." She got up to leave the room with a kiss to Nicole’s head. Stopping at the doorway, in what seemed to be an afterthought, she addressed her daughter one last time. "Oh and Nicky, you have an appointment with Dr. Fletcher on Tuesday to help you sort through some of your emotions about all this." 

Nicole groaned, an exaggerated thing and rolled over, stuffing her face into her pillow. She was sure her mom really did hate her.

***

The old tree house was always the one spot Nicole could go to clear her head. So she laid there alone on her raggedy old sleeping bag, after her visit with Dr. Fletcher and tried to make sense of some of her emotions. She had been readily avoiding Waverly since her realization the other night. It wasn’t that she wanted to, but every time Waverly smiled or laughed or hugged her just a little too long or even just looked at her to be honest, she would go completely red and forget how to be a functional human person. It was a real conundrum she found herself in. She wanted nothing more than to spend every waking second with Waverly, while at the same time panicking as soon as they were in the same vicinity. She was sure this would be how she died. A small smile tickled the corner of her mouth, death by the beautiful little angel Waverly Earp, what a way to go if she ever did say so. 

"Nicole! I know you're up there! Quit hiding from me! I'm coming up." Waverly's high pitched voice broke through the calm silence that surrounded her. 

Nicole smiled and sat up slowly. "What a way to go indeed." She whispered to herself as she prepared to deal with the wrath that Waverly was sure to rain down on her. 

Nicole exhaled a deep sigh and not a second later saw the crown of a little brunette head breached the entrance in the floor. 

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught!” Waverly yelled before swiftly tackling her back to the floor, in a slightly too aggressive embrace. Nicole let out a small “Oof” as her back hit the floor. “Hi Waves. What’s up?” Nicole mumbled into a mess of honey brown hair that had taken up residence on her face, as Waverly nuzzled into her neck. She was glad really, that Waverly had chosen to hide her face in that moment, her own was beet red and she wasn’t quite ready to deal with explaining why that was exactly.

Waverly pushed up from her spot on top of Nicole and glared down at her, Nicole’s eyes unwilling to meet her own. “What’s up? That’s all you got after avoiding me since this weekend! You haven’t even told me what happened.” The look of hurt and uncertainty tainted the brunette’s features. 

Nicole sighed. She was embarrassed and ashamed that she let her feelings overwhelm her. In her quest to hide her own feelings, she hurt Waverly and that seemed the worst punishment of all. “I’m sorry, Waves. Things are kinda weird right now.” Her eyes were soft and her smile was half hearted when she finally looked at the smaller girl sitting in her lap. There was so much more she wanted to say than that, so much she wanted to get out in the open but she really had no idea where to even begin. She figured “Hey Waverly, I think I’m in love with you and we should be girlfriends.” probably wasn’t the best place to start. So she settled with the not so complicated route, it was a point of worry right now as well. “My ma, she has a boyfriend and I saw ‘em kissin’ an it was weird, cause he ain’t my dad an I never thought I’d see her kiss someone else. Then she told me one day I’d understand when I fell in love. But I’ll never fall in love cause boys are gross. But Xavier is cool and he played video games and Legos with me even though he’s a seventh grader and I’m only in fifth and he likes basketball and ridin’ bikes just like us. Well I guess you ain’t really like basketball, but you like watchin’ me play so that counts too. And Erik was fine too, he jus’ made me real mad when I saw his stupid face kiss my ma. It’s jus’ weird cause it feels like he’s tryna replace ma dad and I ain’t real sure I’m too fond of that.” Nicole looked at Waverly expectantly, hoping her semi truth excuse would get her out of this grave she was digging with the angry looking younger girl. 

***

Waverly 10 years old

For the first time in what felt like years, little Waverly Earp felt all twisted up inside. Since the previous weekend, Nicole had not only been acting increasingly strange, but also had been seemingly avoiding her as well. When she finally cornered Nicole in the treehouse, their treehouse, and she started talking about her mom getting a new boyfriend she figured the avoidance was accidental in response to everything going on around her right now. But, when Nicole started talking about Xavier and how cool he was and how much fun she had hanging out with him over the weekend, a tinge of unexpected jealousy bubbled out. “So I guess you and Xavier are going to be new best friends now then? Is that why you’ve been avoiding me Nic?” Waverly said behind teary eyes.

Nicole’s brow creased together, a look of bewilderment behind soft brown eyes. “What are you even talkin’ ‘bout Waves? You’re my best friend. He’s just a… a friend I think. I’m not really sure. If our parents get married then I guess he’ll be my brother or something. I haven’t really thought too much about it. I jus, I’m sorry Waves. For hiding from you. I was tryna sort through everything and didn’t know where to begin. Everything has been real weird, an’ I don’t even know how to feel about nothin’.” Nicole’s eyes were downturned, refusing to meet Waverly’s as she fumbled out her thoughts. Waverly really couldn’t stay mad if she tried, Nicole always had a million distracting thoughts running through her head and she really couldn’t blame her if she wanted to hide out and escape them on occasion. She was her Nicole and without a shadow of a doubt would always come home to her.

Though it was a relief that the last few days she had spent fretting over Nicole’s avoidance had nothing to do with her, there was still the small of jealousy that tickled just below her skin. As of late, Waverly was finding herself more and more unwilling to share Nicole’s time and something about her taking so easily to Xavier was making her skin tingle. Maybe it was the fact that they might be a real family eventually. Nicole had always felt like family to her and maybe if she said it out loud she could make it real too. “I’m sorry too Nic. You could have talked to me though. You’re, you’re like my sister, you know you can always talk to me right?” Okay, ew that left a weird taste in her mouth. Nicole must have felt it too, the slight flinch and the way her face scrunched up for a half second as the word left her mouth a dead giveaway. Why the heck did she say sister! She should have just gone with family, that made more sense. Nicole was way too pretty and not nearly obnoxious enough to be her sister anyway.

Nicole sighed softly before looking at Waverly with a sad smile. “Yeah, what are sisters for?” She said with a visible cringe. Nope, that certainly wasn’t the right word to describe their relationship. Hearing the words leave Nicole’s mouth made bile rise high in her throat. Let's maybe never use the word sister to refer to her Nicole ever again. "Uh Waves? As much as I love you and definitely ain't mind at all that you're sitting in my lap, my legs are kinda starting to fall asleep.

"Oh geez Nic, why didn't you say anything!" Waverly rolled off Nicole’s lap in a flustered.

Nicole just looked up at her like she was the most important person in the world. It was the way she always looked at her, like no one else even mattered, like she was special and loved. "Well I did, Waves. Just now. You're so little I ain't even notice till now anyways." Nicole laughed, harder than maybe appropriate for her mediocre joke, but Waverly just jabbed her in the arm and smiled.

"You really are a weird one Nicole Haught." Waverly mumbled. 

Nicole smiled with her soft chocolate eyes and over the top dimples and Waverly's heart skipped a beat. Well that was new. "Well you’re one to talk, Waverly Earp, I am your bff after all. Now come on, Ma said we could have breakfast for dinner if we're home before the sun starts to set."


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Nicole is all sorts of distracted this chapter. That's all I got

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alas I think we are finally nearing the end of my first multi chapter fic ever. I might not be able to get an update out by the end of the year with the holidays coming up but I will try my darndest. Also I'm pretty high. Hopefully I edited and posted it ok.  
> Enjoy Fam  
> Oh and as always, Kudos and comments make my day so don't be shy and leave a little love if you're diggin' what I'm putting out.

Nicole: Late September 2006 12yrs  
"Nicole! Are you paying attention?" Nicole’s head snapped to the front of the room in an instant. Mrs. Clootie was scowling at her from her podium at the front of the class.

Nicole definitely had not been paying attention. Division and multiplication was the furthest thing from her mind when Waverly was sitting by the open window looking like that. She was chewing on the eraser of her pencil, her brow furrowed in concentration, as her hair fell in waves down past her shoulders and flowed ever so slightly with the outside breeze. There was no other way to put it, Nicole was love sick and not really sure what to do about it. She had spent many nights laying awake, Waverly curled into her side, while she tried to will away her feelings. It wasn’t until last year when she realized the full extent of her feelings towards the younger girl, but she’d felt like she had been in a never ending spiral ever since.

"Uh yeah, course I been listening. Ain't got much else to do right now anyways." 

Mrs. Clootie smirked with a harshness that seemed to be hundreds of years in the making. "Well then, if that's the case why don't you come on up and solve this problem for the class?"

Nicole slunk down into her chair, hoping to escape the situation she'd gotten herself into. Even if she hadn't been daydreaming about her best friend, she was still horrible at math and there was no way she was going to embarrass herself in front of the entire class willingly. "Ya know, I'm actually good." She said with a hint of smugness. 

"Nicole Haught, you quit giving me attitude, get up here right now, and walk us through this problem before you get yourself another after school detention!" Mrs. Clootie scolded.

"Nah I'm good. You're the teacher, shouldn't you be showing us anyways?" Nicole replied, more than ready to take one to keep her pride intact.

"Nicole!" Waverly squeaked, before Mrs. Clootie could get another word in. "We were supposed to ride our bikes to the park today! Quit messing around and get up there and answer the dang question!" 

Nicole let out an overly exaggerated groan as she reluctantly rolled out of her desk. "Fine, but when I get it wrong jus' know it had nothin' to do with me not listening and e'erything to do with me being dumb at math." And sure enough, despite a valiant effort, Nicole couldn't for the life of her figure out the solution, but with the way Waverly smiled at her as she walked back to her seat she wasn't really sure it mattered much anyway.

***  
"Come on Waves, keep up! If we hurry, we can claim the court before the eighth graders try an' push us out." Nicole yelled back at a struggling Waverly, her short legs doing their best to keep pace.

"Nicole slow down! I have short legs! I physically can't peddle as fast as you!" Waverly shouted back.

Nicole turned her head to see Waverly falling even more behind, despite huffing and puffing to keep up. "Sorry Waves, sometimes I forget I'm the only one that seems to grow 'round here. I think you might even be the same size you were the day we met." Nicole slowed to a more reasonable pace and waited until Waverly was by her side again. It didn't really matter anyway, Xavier was probably already waiting there for them. 

"Hey, I've grown! It's not my fault you're growing at an unreasonable rate! I don't even like basketball!" Waverly complained as she caught her breath.

Nicole laughed. "Yeah, but you like watchin' me play basketball. Between you and me though, I think you jus' like when me and X rough up Champ. He's such a tool bag."

"Oh, that is definitely a strong possibility. He really is the worst." Waverly smiled. They rode the rest of the way at a more reasonable pace, Nicole's long legs itching to push faster the entire time.

"You know, Waves, I'd like to get there sometime today if that’s okay with you. Maybe next time I'll just bike the both of us. I'm prob'ly gonna have to beef up if I wanna join the school basketball and track team next year anyway. Ima get so strong I'll be able to carry you anywhere you wanna go." She boasted, puffing out her chest.

Waverly rolled her eyes at the redhead. "Nic, first of all, I have two working legs, that get me around just fine thank you and second, you can already carry me. You even picked me up and threw me on the bed when Wynonna tried to tackle us because she lost at Mario Kart the other day. Besides, peddling isn't even going to do anything for your arm strength. You have to do push ups or something."

"Well maybe I just wanna be stronger then. I gotta be able to impress the ladies." Nicole finished with a wink and a proper tip of her stetson to Waverly. 

Waverly snorted and turned away from Nicole’s cheesy grin. “Oh shut up, Nic. I’m the only lady you need to worry about impressing anyways.” 

“Of course Waves, Whatever you say.” If Nicole hadn’t been so embarrassed by what she’d said and done, she would have noticed the slight blush on Waverly’s cheeks as well. Instead she was mortified, so she pumped her legs just a little bit faster and pulled just barely ahead of her best friend, in a halfhearted effort to hide some of her self loathing.

***  
Nicole really wanted to punch Champ Hardy in the face and if Waverly hadn't been there watching, she probably would have. She and X had been playing two on two against him and Pete for about an hour now. They attempted to wrangle Waverly into playing as well so Kyle could join, but Waverly wouldn’t even consider it. Despite her demeanor to the opposite, Nicole was quite glad actually. While Waverly may have been athletically inclined in most things, she never really took to basketball and that was saying so politely. The fact that Waverly was definitely the worst basketball player that Nicole had ever seen was the truth of the matter. But, Waverly never even seemed to mind sitting on the sidelines and watching the game unfold. She would just post up in the nearby grass, Nicole's hat perched atop her head, attempting to read her books or work on homework, sneaking not so sneaky glances at Nicole all the while. Nicole let her watch, catching her with a dimpled smile and wave, and even the uncalled for finger guns or thumbs up that her body performed without her permission, on occasion. Waverly always smiled back or laughed, shaking her head in a halfhearted tease at Nicole’s antics.

Nicole was in one of these dazes, watching Waverly peek at her over her obscure history book, when she came face to forehead with said Champ Hardy. She fell back hard, the basketball flying from her hands, the back of her head slamming on the cement beneath her. Pro'ly deserved that one, she thought, stars slowly starting to invade her vision. She and X had been pushing them around since they arrived and forced their way into their game so she couldn't really be mad at the roughness of his actions. 

Waverly was over her in an instant, shoving a sneering Champ to the side with little concern. "Move Champ, you big stupid potato." Did Waverly just call him a potato? "Nicole! Are you okay? You hit your head pretty good." Waverly knelt down, knees flat on the ground as she brushed the hair from Nicole’s face. It was getting too long, she'd need it cut soon. Nicole looked up at Waverly and hummed. Their eyes locked and Nicole's smile threatened to consume her entire face. One day, she thought, one day this feeling of utter infatuation will fizzle out. She was sure of it. She had to be, to get through the rest of her life with Waverly Earp by her side.

"Okay, get up or get out. If you two losers wanna play googly eyes then do it somewhere else." Champ snorted with little regard to the slightly concussed ginger on the ground. X set a heavy hand on his shoulder and steeled a look at him, daring him to continue. He was a year older and just barely bigger than Champ, but twice as imposing. 

Nicole sat up slowly, her world spinning in slow circles around her. "It's cool X. He's just mad cause Waves won't give him the time of day and would rather spend her time with people of substance.

Champ growled at the insult. "Suck it, Haught. One day Waverly will see how lame you are and come running to my side and we'll get married and have babies like God intended." Champ said like it was set in stone. 

"Ew" Nicole and Waverly said in union, both their faces twisting at the thought. X just gave him a look of disapproval and confusion. It really was a wonder what went through that boy's head.

"Well now I definitely feel sick. You ready to head home, Waves? It's getting late anyway." Nicole said, tenderly rubbing the back of her head. She could already feel the knot forming where she hit. She plucked her hat off Waverly’s head, earning herself a pout that disappeared as quickly as it arrived. And then Waverly and Xavier were helping her up and off the court. Her legs were uneasy her first few steps, but eventually her vision stopped spinning and her legs were steady under her weight again. "You coming home with us X or going back to your place?" Nicole asked as she delicately picked up and mounted her bike.

"My dad told me to go back to your place. I think we're having family dinner tonight. Plus I gotta make sure you don't collapse and die on the ride home from that head injury." He teased, picking up his own bike from its spot in the grass.

"Nic, are you sure you're okay to ride home? We could always call your mom to come get us." Waverly asked, rightfully concerned about Nicole. 

"I'm good Waves. I promise. Jus' got a headache is all. Now let's get out of here before Champ whisks you away for marriage." Nicole teased. 

Waverly groaned, disgusted at the thought. "You're never going to let that one go are you?"

Nicole and X looked at each other and laughed. "No definitely not, Mrs. Hardy." Nicole said, causing both her and X to erupt into laughter yet again.

Waverly fake gagged. "Eww, stop it! You're going to make me puke! I'd sooner die than date that sasquatch.” Waverly's voice was whiny, but her words made Nicole smile. At least she didn't have to worry about Waverly falling for Champ any time soon.

"Alright, alright Little Bean, let's go home okay. I got a killer headache. You think them little legs will be able to keep up with the two fastest bike riders in Purgatory?" Nicole and X looked at each other, mischief in their eyes and sly smiles on their faces.

"Nicole, X, don't!" Waverly shouted, but it was already too late, the two peeled out in the grass and were flying down the empty road home before Waverly even had her feet in the pedals. "Nicole Rayleigh Haught, you are in so much trouble when I catch you!" Waverly yelled at their backs. Xavier kept on riding, but Nicole slowed slightly, letting him gain a lead on her. In a continued effort to tease her much smaller best friend, she rode a couple wide circles around her, all while laughing at Waverly’s scowling face. "Nicole, stop showing off and watch where you're going, you're going to crash." Waverly scolded.

Nicole laughed, turning to look at the out of breath brunette behind her. "No way, Waves! I'm way too cool to crash!" And then she crashed, head on into the only moving car in the street, Bunny Loblaw's fancy new Mercedes. The last thing she heard as she flew head first, up and over the car was the blood curdling scream Waverly let out. She hit the road with an oof and then there was only black.

***  
Waverly 12 yrs 

Waverly felt nothing but straight to the bone terror as Nicole's lanky body flew up and over the pristine car and landed on the asphalt with a deep thud and sharp crack. "Nicole!" Waverly screamed, throwing her bike down and rushing to her side. Nicole was completely limp on her back and her lifeless body filled Waverly with dread. Blood ran out of her nose and down her face and Waverly's heart dropped. Her whole body shook as she kneeled over her best friend for the second time in a day. "Nicole, Nic? Wake up! Omg my god are you dead? Nicole if you're dead, I'm going to kill you!" Waverly yelled through tear soaked eyes. She reached her hands out, ready to shake her awake when a firm hand landed on her shoulder. 

"Wait, don't move her." X said, the calm of his voice did little to stifle the underlying fear Waverly could hear. "It could really mess her up if she has a spine injury. The ambulance should be here soon."

She reached out and gently brushed the hair from Nicole’s face with a trembling hand and rubbed her face gently. "Nicole, please don't be dead. I love you too much for you to die." Waverly cried, willing Nicole to wake up. 

Nicole groaned and her face twisted in agony, but when she opened her eyes, Waverly was hovering above her, dropping tears onto her face and all was right in the world. Sort of. She did still get hit by a car just now. "I think I might be too dumb to die." She grunted.

"You're alive!" Waverly and X shouted in union. 

Waverly could make out the faint sounds of sirens and Bunny was yelling some nonsense behind them about the damage to her car, but she heard almost none of it. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as the initial fear started to seep out. Nicole was alive, she got hit head on by a car and flew way higher through the air than any person should, but she was alive and that's all that mattered.

"Jus' barely. I'm like real tired though. I think ima have 'nother nap. Cool?" Nicole smiled at Waverly as her eyes began to droop closed. "Wait, Waves my hat. Where's my hat?" She hissed in pain, as she attempted to lift her arm to her head. "Ow. That's not normal." She deadpanned, gingerly setting it back down next to her body as she closed her eyes again.

Waverly scanned the street with panic filled eyes. Yes, Nicole was alive but she would not be okay if she didn't get her hat back. There, after what seemed like an eternity she spotted it, underneath the precious Mercedes. "X, her hat, it's under the car. Will you get it? It's the only thing she'll care about when she wakes up." 

"Uh yeah okay, just don't move her or let her move, it sounds like the ambulance is almost here." Xavier said, reluctantly leaving the girls side. Waverly just nodded and went back to stroking Nicole's head. It was the only thing that made her feel useful right then. The sirens neared closer and soon enough, a squad of people were rushing to Nicole’s aid and trying to brush Waverly aside.  
Through willpower and determination alone, Waverly forced her way into the ambulance when the EMTs tried to make her stay put. Whether it was because she was wasting their time or they actually had compassion for her, she would never know.  
She sat quietly by Nicole’s side, gently holding her hand and listening to the steady beat of the monitors they’d hooked up to her. Nicole rustled around and gave Waverly’s hand a faint squeeze before she willed her eyes open. “Heya Lil Bean. Whatcha cryin’ for?” Nicole asked, her voice raspy and weak, but surprisingly calm considering she was strapped down at all points of movement. The EMTs were hovering and asking Nicole every question imaginable. She mumbled a few half assed replies, but mostly ignored all else, her prime focus on Waverly’s distraught face and making it all better.  
Waverly was sure she looked aghast, watching your best friend and one of the only people you actually loved in this world get catapulted through the air by a car will do that to a person. Waverly hiccuped through her crying. “You, you stupid idiot. I’m crying for you. You got hit by a car! We thought you were dead!”  
Nicole just smiled, easy and carefree as always. “Huh how about that. Can’t kill what’s already dead Waves.” She laughed. Waverly had no idea what she even meant by that, but Nicole just smiled and carried on in a daze. “Yer so flippin' beautiful Waverly Earp.” Nicole was staring at Waverly with sparkles in her eyes, causing Waverly to flush under her gaze. “She loves you, you know?” Nicole’s eyes skirted around like she was getting ready to tell a great secret, maybe she was. Realizing she was completely immobilized, Nicole beckoned Waverly closer with the smallest tick to her head. When Waverly's ear was just a hair away from her lips she whispered. “Nicole, I mean. She's in loves you."

"What?" Waverly squeaked, confused by Nicole’s phrasing.

Nicole looked down quizzically at her feet, wiggling her toes. She was missing both shoes and had only one sock that was dangerously close to falling off on her left foot. "Waves, I think someone stole my shoes. Them were my good basketball shoes too. Promise me you won't let them take my sock, it's all I got left."

Waverly couldn’t help but giggle a bit, Nicole was acting a little ridiculous. Along with her second head injury of the day, the medics had also pumped Nicole full of some sort of sedative when she started struggling against her restraints. It was no surprise she was speaking like a crazy person now. "Nic, you just got hit by a car and you're all hopped up on drugs, I think your sock situation is the least of your concerns!" Waverly lectured the best way she knew how. 

Nicole looked back at Waverly, like she was looking straight into her soul. "Jus' please don't leave me, kay." She gave Waverly a sad smile before her eyes drooped closed once again.

Waverly wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. "Never, Nic. I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise." She said as she bent over and placed a soft kiss to the side of Nicole's head.

***  
Waverly cried some more when they arrived at the hospital and she was finally pulled away from Nicole and made her call home for someone to come for her. No one answered of course, so she left a message for Wynonna to pick her up when she got home. Willa hadn't been home in who knows how long, her mom was more MIA than ever and Wynonna was almost never home before the sun went down anymore so she figured she'd just make herself comfortable until Wynonna realized what was going on and eventually came for her.  
Nicole's mom showed up at the hospital a little while after they arrived, and she joined Waverly in anxiously waiting for any news of her daughter. The police questioned her about what happened, but left as quickly as they came after she recounted the incident.  
After a multitude of tests everyone was surprised to hear Nicole's only major injuries were another broken arm and another pretty good concussion. Nicole mostly just slept, occasionally waking to mumble some nonsense, ask what happened and tell Waverly and all her nurses how pretty they were. Before she knew it, the moon was high in the sky and the night had crept up on them. Waverly had been sleeping cuddled into Nicole’s side, tucked into the curve of her uninjured arm for the past few hours. She felt Nicole shuffle beneath her and let out a sleepy groan. Waverly looked up to the happiest face she's maybe seen on Nicole in the four years that they'd known each other. 

When Waverly smiled back, Nicole's only grew wider. “You’re so pretty and I like you so much.” Nicole gushed. She seemed so carefree, and sincere, and soft and it was making Waverly feel all gooey inside. "Look Waves someone gave me a pink cast." She said raising her broken arm in the air, her brows furrowed in confusion. Nicole's mom looked at her from across the room with a knowing smirk. Waverly hid her laugh and looked away feeling a little guilty under Nicole’s stare. Kelly had let her pick the color and she figured pink would be a little payback for all the pranks Nicole played on her when she got together with X and Wynonna and also making her think she was dead just a few hours ago. Nicole would have probably gone with blue or green, maybe even red, but Waverly figured she deserved pink for scaring the life out of her today. What kind of idiot rides head on into a car?

"Would you look at that?" Waverly giggled, hiding her face in the crook of Nicole's neck. "Go back to sleep Nic, the doctor said you need lots of rest and it's real late." She mumbled, gently wrapping her arm around Nicole’s body to pull her closer.

"Mmh, kay. I guess I am real sleepy still." Nicole said, nuzzling her face into the top Waverly’s head and hair. "Night Waves. Love you."

"Night Nic, love you too." She wrapped herself up in Nicole’s warmth and breathed her in, thanking anyone that was listening, that Nicole was okay. Even beneath the sterile smell of the hospital, when Waverly inhaled, all she smelled was vanilla, and she knew everything would be alright. Her eyes drifted closed and she snuggled as close into Nicole as possible, feeling her arm tighten just the slightest around her.

"Yo, Little Haughtpants, Baby Girl, you in here!?" And of course Wynonna would arrive as noisy as ever just as she started feeling all warm and snuggly. 

Waverly shot up from her spot next to Nicole as Nicole grumbled something incomprehensible. "Wynonna shut up! Are you trying to wake up the whole hospital?" Waverly hissed. 

Wynonna flicked the lights on creating a harsh fluorescent glow in the room. "Oh Waves you are here, good. Get your shit, it's late and Doc is waiting outside to take us home." Wynonna continued on loudly, with complete disregard for everyone around her.

"Wynonna, nice to see you. It’s pretty late, come for Waverly, have you?" Kelly interrupted with an arched eyebrow from her spot in the recliner by the window. 

“Yo, what up, Mama Haught. It’s always a damn pleasure.” Wynonna paused for a second in an attempt to gather her thoughts. “I’m eighteen now, you know? Fresh off my eighteenth birthday this weekend actually.” Wynonna smiled and winked at Nicole’s mom. 

Waverly scrunched her face up at her sister’s antics. She was 99 percent sure Wynonna had developed a small, not so subtle crush on Nicole’s mom over the past few years. It seemed every time Wynonna was in her presence, she started flirting like a darn peacock whether she realized it or not. Nicole,grumbled at the commotion rustling in the bed. “Wy, stop flirting with my ma. You’re being creepy again. It ain’t like you got a chance anyways. Have you seen Erik? I’m jus’ sayin’, ya ain’t her type.” Waverly and Kelly both snorted in union and Nicole continued.

“Hey.” Wynonna whined, defeated.

Nicole looked over and locked eyes with Wynonna before she continued. “You’re way too pretty for her. You’re like a solid 10/10.” Nicole said with a dopey smile. And for some reason, completely out of the blue, Waverly felt like punching her sister in the unsuspecting face. Nicole looked back at Waverly with an even bigger smile on her face. “Pr’oly only like half as pretty as Waves, though. You’re like a 10/10, but she’s like a 100/10.” 

Wynonna deflated with a laugh. “Well good thing I’m already in a hospital, better make my way to the burn unit so I can have that savage, and completely unwarranted burn treated.” Wynonna huffed.

Waverly gave Wynonna a smug smirk. The urge to punch her sister dissipated as soon as Nicole said those words. Waverly could have kissed that stupid smile right off Nicole’s cute little face. Wait, what? Did she just think about kissing Nicole on the lips? Nicole had been complimenting her all afternoon in her drug induced state, she probably just got all of her emotions mixed up with all the praise and flirting she’d been receiving. Yeah that was definitely it.

Nicole’s mom laughed from her spot across the room. “Okay, little Casanova, I think that’s enough backhanded compliments to your friends for one night. Say goodbye to Waverly, It’s late and Wynonna and her need to be getting home.”

“What’s Casanova and why are you calling me that?” Nicole inquired, completely missing the part about Waverly having to leave now. Waverly laughed. It wasn’t like she knew what a casanova was either, but she enjoyed when Nicole was pouty and a little bit confused. She was always cutest when Waverly could almost see the gears in her head turning. “Wait, what? Waverly can’t leave, I need her here. You know, to keep me warm and feed me my snacks when the snack lady comes back.”

“Nicole I am the snack lady. I brought you the snacks and you insisted that Waverly feed you your goldfish because according to you, your arms had turned into noodles and they no longer worked. Even though they worked perfectly fine when you needed to demonstrate that they were in fact noodles.

Nicole gasped, scandalized at her mom's accusations. “I do not recall such an instance!” 

Wynonna snorted. “Okay Shakespeare, reel it in and release Waverly to me. It’s late and I’m tired. She can see you tomorrow after she gets home from school. You’re going home tomorrow right?”

Nicole looked around, taking in her surroundings for seemingly the first time since she woke. Waverly could see Nicole thinking, the little wrinkle in her brow a tell tale sign the cogs were turning in there. Nicole gasped as the lightbulb finally turned on. “Wait, why the flip am I in the hospital again?” 

"God you really are an adorable idiot aren't you?" Wynonna teased. "That is a great question that I'm sure your beautiful mother would love to answer as soon as me and Waves make a run for it. Catch some z's kid, we'll see you tomorrow. Come on Waves, I'm tired and you still got school in the morning."

Waverly finally freed herself from Nicole, her body instantly cold, in the absence of Nicole's warmth. Nicole grasped her hand while eying her like a sad puppy. "You promise you'll come see me tomorrow?" Her eyes bore into Waverly’s, the molten heat threatening to melt Waverly’s own.

Waverly gave Nicole's hand one last squeeze before letting go completely. "I promise Nic." She said, leaning down to place a soft kiss to Nicole’s cheek. She left the room thinking of Nicole's soft smile and warm eyes and couldn't help the way her heart fluttered in her chest. Well that was new. Whether it was all the compliments or the flirting or even the excessive "I love yous", Waverly couldn’t be sure. But she left Nicole’s hospital room that night with the feeling that something between them had shifted and things going forward would be irrevocably different for better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like a deep dive into my very shallow life you can follow me on twitter @actuallysoftaf


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date chapter part one. that's all I got just read it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo what up fam, it's me again your resident stoner/knife maker/fic writer. long time no update? Sorry bout that i've been pretty busy as of late. Anyway, I know I promised some smut in this chapter and originally it did have it but I decided to split it in 2 parts since it was becoming so massive. It was nearing 10,000 words so I figured why the heck not. Im hoping to have the second half out in the next week or so if I can actually sit down and concentrate for a few hours.  
> Anyway I hope my editing is ok, idk if anyone has noticed but I really have no idea where commas actually belong so i kinda just toss them in casually as I go.
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are mucho appreciated.

Nicole: July 2019

Nicole's hand shook and her heart hammered heavy in her chest as she raised it up to knock on the weathered homestead door. She was nervous. Today, today was the day Nicole was finally going to take Waverly on the date she had been planning since she was 16 years old. It was early afternoon and she had the rest of the day planned out for them. She had gone back and forth in her mind, battling whether or not sticking to the plan of a love sick teen would be in her best interest, but she figured she'd put enough thought into it during those years, she might as well push forward. If anything, hopefully Waverly would at the very least find it endearing. 

Nicole smoothed down the front of her button up. It was adorned with little tacos and margaritas and cacti wearing sombreros and she was really starting to regret putting it on. Stupid, she thought. She probably should have just gone the safe route and wore her striped one or maybe even her denim. Panic started building deep in her bones and she turned to rush home and change. She was one step down the homestead porch, when the door flew open and Wynonna was standing in the doorway. 

"Little old for ding dong ditch aren't we?" Wynonna shouted down at the retreating Nicole. 

Nicole stopped dead in her tracks. Well there went her chance to change out of that ridiculous shirt. She had told Waverly to dress casual so hopefully she wouldn't be too embarrassed. "Uh, I just forgot something in my truck." Nicole choked out, turning to face Wynonna. 

Wynonna snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, ok weirdo. As long as you're not running off on your date, I don't really care."

"I, I'm not, I would never. I've been waiting to take Waves on a date since I was 12 years old. You really think I would run off on this?" Nicole replied, slightly offended that the thought she would stand Waverly up even crossed her mind. She made her way up the porch and into the house with a slight hunch to her shoulders, hoping Wynonna wouldn't push it too far.

"Of course not Haughtpants. You love that girl way too much to do something that stupid." Wynonna laughed, shaking her head with a smile. She slapped Nicole a little too firmly on the back as she let her through the door, slamming it closed behind her.

Nicole leaned against the couch, rubbing the back of her neck hard enough to turn it red. Wynonna's words had knocked loose a feeling she had all but forgot. It hit her hard in the chest and rattled around in her heart until it settled and turned warm and comfortable. "I mean I did, all them years ago as kids, I did love her. More than I even loved myself most of the time. So much has changed though and I'm scared we're not the same people we were." It was a legitimate fear and no matter how strongly her urge to be with Waverly always was, the fear still wiggled around and irritated the very deepest corners of her brain.

Wynonna sighed, her features taking on a softer look. "Nicole, don't be a dingus. You two dummies are meant for each other. I've known you'd end up together since you fixed up that old bike for her for her birthday when she turned nine. She wouldn't shut up about it for months. And don't even get me started on that stupid cactus, did you know she actually still sleeps with it." 

A light blush dusted across Nicole’s cheeks at the thought of Waverly still cuddling up with that ridiculous stuffed cactus. Sam had let her choose one thing from the gift shop at the Grand Canyon that year they road tripped together. She chose that. To think it still held a spot in Waverly's bed after all those years made her heart flip in her chest. 

Her eyes caught movement at the top of the stairs. She looked up from toeing the floor with her way too expensive hand made leather boots to a sight she was sure she'd never get used to. Waverly was the sunshine on a cloudy day and Nicole would forever thank whoever was listening for finally bringing her home.

"Nicole you're here!" Waverly piped, skipping down the steps without a care in the world.

Nicole's hands gripped the back of the couch, her knuckles white, she swallowed hard. Waverly was standing at the base of the stairs looking like she fell straight down from heaven. Her black lace crop top hugged her curves perfectly and left just a sliver of exposed skin between it and her high-waisted pink skirt. God was she beautiful. Nicole's mouth went dry and her voice stuck in her throat when she went to speak. 

Fortunately for her Wynonna spoke enough for everyone. "Damn Baby Girl, I thought you said causal? You trying to kill Haught To Trot before your date even starts?"

"This is casual!" Waverly squeaked all high pitched and whiny in the same way she did when they were just a couple of clueless kids trying to figure out the pull the felt for one another. Waverly was bright red and it did nothing to help Nicole's state of mind. She was still yet to respond to anything. "I'm wearing boots, this is casual!" Waverly turned to address Nicole. "Nicole this is casual right?" She said gesturing to her outfit. 

Nicole looked at Waverly from her black suede boots all the way up to the little pretzel necklace she was wearing and followed the waves of her hair all the way back down again. She cleared her throat, hoping it would take the gravel that had invaded there with it. "You look fucking amazing." She managed to choke out through dirt and sand.

Waverly smiled so wide her eyes crinkled at the sides "See Wy, I look fucking amazing." Waverly huffed, smugness and confidence exuding from her at an alarming rate as she strutted over to Nicole. She stood between Nicole's legs, their bodies not quite touching as she ran her hands down the front of Nicole's shirt smoothing it down. She smirked over at Wynonna then pulled Nicole down into a downright filthy kiss. Well there went her plan to save their kiss until the end of the date. She should have known Waverly would take what she wanted, it's not like she'd ever been able to resist. 

Nicole pressed her hand to the small of Waverly's back, her fingertips grazing the warm strip of bare skin between Waverly’s shirt and skirt. She shuddered, pulling her in closer. She would never get tired of this feeling. Having Waverly this way still didn't seem real and she could get lost in these moments so easily. 

"Okay, okay, enough I get it. Will you two assholes get out of here already?" Wynonna said with feigned offense. "Also Rosie is coming over later, so maybe don't come home until after midnight."

Waverly raised a challenging eyebrow at her sister. "Do you really think I'm coming home tonight, Wy?" She had turned in Nicole’s grip and her back was pressed against Nicole’s front, Nicole's chin resting comfortably on her shoulder. Even as anxiety ridden Nicole was when she arrived at the homestead, Waverly had managed to calm her in all the most simple ways. It was familiar and safe and everything Nicole ever wanted.

"Yeah whatever, just use protection. I don't think the world can handle another Earp anytime soon." Wynonna said practically shoving the two out the door. 

"Wy, I don't think that's how babies are made." Nicole scoffed. 

"Yeah I don't care, now get." Wynonna responded. Nicole and Waverly walked to her truck hand in hand, Nicole feeling like she was floating on a cloud when Wynonna shouted one last thing at them. "Oh and Haught?" Nicole turned to look at Wynonna with a cocked eyebrow. "Nice shirt. Totally rad, kid." Wynonna cackled like a god damn hyena, slamming the homestead door and halting any response Nicole could think of. And well god dammit if Nicole hadn’t all but forgot about that stupid shirt.

Nicole's head was turned, glaring at the closed door. Maybe she could just run home and change, Waverly probably wouldn't mind. She felt a tug on her hand, and turned to see Waverly smiling softly up at her. "Nic?"

"Yeah?" Nicole responded, still slightly distracted by Wynonna’s jab.

Waverly stretched up onto her tiptoes and brought her lips to Nicole’s ear. "I like the shirt." She whispered, nipping gently at Nicole's ear, causing a rush of goosebumps to erupt across pale skin. Waverly finished with a quick kiss to the cheek, then skipped over to Nicole’s truck and made herself at home in the middle of the smooth leather bench seat. Waverly smiled at her through the window as Nicole stood where Waverly had left her frozen in place. And well shit, if Waverly Earp wasn't going to be the death of her, she wasn't sure what was. Nicole smiled, shoes crunching loudly on the gravel driveway. She'd never thought she'd so willingly march her way to certain demise. 

***

Nicole's truck rumbled to a soft stop. The normally bright lights of the old arcade seemed dim in the light of day. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. Waverly probably had no interest in having their first date at a place they spent so much of their childhood and teens at. "I hope this is okay." Nicole asked. Her hands sweaty on the smooth worn leather of the steering wheel.

Waverly looked up at her with stars in her eyes. "Nicole, this is perfect!" She smiled, and Nicole let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "You know when you used to bring us here in that shitty little truck of yours as kids, I used to pretend we were on dates." 

"Hey that was a good truck!" Nicole whined totally missing the point. She thought back to that tiny white single cab Chevy s10 with fondness. "It was reliable and sturdy." She nodded satisfied. "I'd buy it back in a heartbeat if I could."

Waverly laughed. "Yeah, okay. That's besides the point, Nic. What I'm saying is I always wanted to be on a real date here, with you."

Nicole smiled hard, her dimple popping. "Oh."

Waverly smiled and shook her head softly. "Oh indeed. Now come on you big dork, lets go in! You think they still have California Speed? I would always kick your ass at that game." She said, excitement dripping from her voice. Nicole didn't have the heart to tell her that she always let her win just to see the happiness in her eyes. Instead, she smiled wide and grabbed Waverly's hand, dragging her out of the truck and into the arcade. 

The nostalgia slapped her right in the face as she led Waverly through those dirty glass doors. The dim lighting and bright glow of neon lights and video game screens had not changed a bit in the years since she had been there. She could almost smell the metallic hint to the air from the thousands of little tokens making their constant rounds through the place. 

Waverly squeezed her hand and smiled up at her. "It hasn't changed a bit, has it?"

"Not even a little." Nicole breathed out. It was perfect.

***

Waverly was insurmountably bad at California Speed. She was even somehow much worse than when they were kids, but when she raced across that finish line, second to last, with only Nicole behind her, her smile still lit up the dim arcade. 

"Wow you're even worse than when we were kids." Nicole said with a light tease. They were still sat in the sticky seats of their favorite racing game. Nicole had lost count of how many times Waverly had smashed her car into something, but it seemed like an unreasonable amount by the end of it.

"Oh shush up Nic. You suck even worse than I do. You came in last place for Christ sake." Waverly huffed, swinging her legs across the seat so she could better look at Nicole. 

Nicole looked at her with an easy smile and a tinge of guilt. "Huh I sure did, didn't I?" She tried to hide the smug grin that crept up on her face, she really did but she never really could help but tease the younger girl. Waverly as smart as she was, caught on the second Nicole's lip turned up a little too sharply.

Waverly jumped from her seat and advanced on Nicole before she had a chance to hop up, cementing her in the hard plastic seat. "Nicole Rayleigh Haught, have you been letting me win at this game since we were kids?" Nicole looked anywhere but at Waverly, her mocha eyes skirting across the entirety of the old arcade in search of an answer. She had never really imagined having to tell Waverly that she purposely lost nearly every game she ever played against her just to see her smile. And really what was Nicole supposed to say other than the truth? Waverly would know if she was lying, she always used to anyway. So she spilled the beans. An entire childhood of throwing games of all sorts just so Waverly could be a little happier in the moment, came all flooding out like water through a broken dam. Embarrassed, Nicole rang her hands together and stared holes into the same crusty arcade carpet that’d been there since they were kids.

A small smile graced Waverly's face, a kindness Nicole supposed. "I can't believe every game we ever played together has been a lie. All this time I just thought you really sucked at video games." Waverly said with astonishment. 

Nicole tried to hold in her smile, but it crept through anyway. "Ya ain't mad, are ya?" Nicole asked, her accent breaking through with her nervousness. 

Waverly smiled with mischief in her eyes. Her small frame hovered over the taller woman and for not the first time in Nicole’s life, she knew Waverly as a giant. Waverly leaned down and lifted Nicole’s chin until their eyes met. "Nope,” Waverly said, popping the p. “but don't think you won't pay for this later." Waverly had fire in her eyes and when she claimed Nicole's lips as her own not a second later, Nicole was sure she had finally died. 

***

They stayed at the arcade for hours, playing old games and reminiscing on the time they spent there. It had started innocent enough, flirty banter and soft touches as they ran around the laser tag room, trying to outscore each other. But, it all fell apart when Nicole popped out from under the stairs and pulled Waverly against her by the vest the. Waverly squeaked in surprise, before relaxing in Nicole’s hold. Her smile lit up the entire room and Nicole couldn't help herself when she dipped down to kiss her.

Nicole smiled into the kiss before she pushed Waverly up against the wall, practically lifting her up by the front of the vest. They were hidden in a dark corner of the laser tag room, Nicole taking everything Waverly had to give. She had lost track of time, stuck in whatever reality her mind created when the two of them were together. She could have spent the rest of her life there if it meant she got to keep Waverly by her side. But, Waverly's stomach grumbled and the obnoxious end of game buzzer blasted loudly around them and Nicole realized the sun had started to set and the early evening sky began to settle around them. 

Dinner, she still had dinner planned. She had almost forgotten, so consumed by everything that was Waverly. Nicole broke the kiss with a laugh, smiling down at the flushed brunette. Their hips bumped together softly. Nicole’s hands gripped Waverly’s hips gently, while Waverly’s hands weaved around the back of Nicole’s neck, locking her in place.

"What do you say we get out of here? We have dinner reservations." Nicole smiled, resting her forehead against the smaller woman’s.

“Oh yeah, where are we going?” Waverly asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, you’ll just have to sit back and find out now, won’t you.” Nicole smirked, before she dipped down to kiss Waverly one last time before she slipped out of her grip and started towards the exit. Waverly stood staring, mouth slightly agape, smile on her face, unable to move just yet. Nicole paused after a few steps and turned with a hand out and a shit-eating grin on her face. “Come on Waves. I have something to show you.”

***

Waverly

The low rumble of Nicole's truck filled the comfortable air around them. Waverly had slid over into the middle bench seat so she could be as close to Nicole as possible. In the quiet of the truck, her mind raced with a million thoughts. The time between when Nicole left in high school and now, seemed like such a mystery. She still had so many questions to ask the older woman, but was so caught up in the carefree comforts of just being by her side again, she had yet to bring it up. Nicole was always a master at avoidance and when they were kids it took Waverly poking and prodding just to get her to open up. They had fallen so seamlessly into a familiarity though, she had almost forgotten the decade they had spent apart. There was so much she wanted to know, she just had no idea where to start. Her hand rested on the inside of Nicole's thigh, her fingertips drawing nervous circles over the top of Nicole's jeans, while she contemplated how to ask Nicole what had exactly happened in their time apart.

“Waves, I can feel you thinking. What’s wrong?” Nicole asked as she laced her steady fingers together with Waverly’s anxious ones. She chanced a quick glance in Waverly’s direction before shooting her a comforting smile.

Waverly should have known better than to try and hide her feelings from Nicole. Even in their early childhood she could always tell when something was up. She sighed, a small laugh breaking through at the end as she prepared to broach the subject. “So, I was just thinking…” she started, pausing to gauge Nicole’s reaction.

Nicole arched an eyebrow at her, “I am aware. Hence the question, Waves”.

“Nicole, don’t be a jerk, I’m getting there.” Waverly huffed.

“Sorry.” Nicole said, shooting her an apologetic smile. “Please continue. Whatever it is, I want to know.”

Waverly sighed again, heavier this time, amazed at the eaze in which Nicole made her feel comfortable again. “So, a lot has changed since we were kids huh?” Waverly said, testing the waters.

“Mhh.” Nicole hummed in agreement, keeping her eyes focused on the increasingly empty road as they neared the outskirts of the Purgatory city limits. “That it has, Lil Bean, that it has.”

Waverly beamed at the nickname, Nicole had called her that a few times since their reunion a week ago, but her heart still skipped a beat everytime. “Well,” Waverly pushed forward. “I guess I just want to know more about you. I mean, your life and what happened in the time we were apart. And I don’t really care about your ex or anything like that. I just feel like you strolled back into town all carefree and sexy, with your house and your garage and your fancy motorcycles and cars and I just want to know what in god's name brought you here. You’re kind of an anomaly right now.” 

The streetlights had disappeared about a mile back and the only thing illuminating Nicole’s profile was the low light of the moon just barely making an appearance in the star lit sky.

Nicole smiled, squeezing Waverly’s hand gently in reassurance. “An anomaly, huh?” She teased and Waverly cursed her for never being able to take anything seriously.

“Ugh Nicole, you know what I meant.” Waverly whined in response. “Will you please at the very least, tell me why the hell you are driving around in this exact truck? It almost seems a little masochistic don’t you think?”

Nicole deflated just slightly and Waverly almost had time to regret the words that left her mouth before Nicole spoke. “It was Sam’s.” 

Waverly’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But isn’t this the same truck from the crash?” She questioned, the dots not quite connecting just yet.

“Mhmm sort of.” Nicole nodded, her hand noticeably clammy in Waverly’s. “He and my dad, they were actually best friends growing up. The year before I was born, they got together and decided it would be funny to buy the same truck for the sole purpose of confusing my mom.” Nicole paused, biting harshly on her bottom lip as she stared straight ahead, eyes focused on the dark rural road.

Waverly sensed her anxiety building, but squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her to continue. “Nic, why do you have your uncle’s old truck?”

Waverly saw Nicole’s throat bob as she swallowed hard. “I uh, las’ year, well guess it’s been longer now… Sam, he got sick, and there weren’t nothing no one could do about it.” Waverly sat in silence dreading the words that were about to spill out of her sweet Nicole’s mouth. “Pancreatic cancer… Doc said he only had a few months, but the tough ol’ bastard made it damn near a year.” Nicole said through a wet laugh. Tears pricked the corners of red eyes as she let out a shaky exhale. 

Waverly’s heart dropped down into her stomach as she absorbed what Nicole had just revealed. Fate had never been kind to the redhead and the loss of her beloved uncle, only served as more proof. “I am so fucking sorry Nic. He was an amazing man, and I know he meant the world to you.” 

“Yeah, he really was the best of us. He’s the reason I have everything I do today. He left me everything, Waves. The business, the cars, his house. Hell, he even left me as the sole beneficiary of all of his accounts and insurance. Now I ain’t rich or nothing like that, but it was enough to afford me with everything I got now.” When Nicole had told Waverly about taking in her uncle’s car clients she had assumed that he retired and passed most of the business to her. Never did any other scenario even cross her mind. Waverly remained silent, gazing up at Nicole through the light of the crescent moon, as she waited for her to continue. “Before he passed, one of the last things he told me was to not be afraid to chase the things I want in life. It really got me asking myself, what exactly did I want in life. The only time I really had any semblance of an idea was when I was just a dorky young kid, dreaming about her future with her “straight” best friend.” Their eyes met as Nicole looked down at Waverly for a split second and gave her a soft smile. “So, I did what any totally sane and definitely not emotionally traumatized 24 year old would, I broke up with my longtime girlfriend and I came back home. I had already been working a lot of Sam’s overflow clients and even had some that specifically requested me, so it wasn’t too hard to figure the rest out. My cousin, Jenson and the rest of the crew deals with a lot of the easier projects and the requests and more difficult stuff gets shipped out here to me.”

The tires of the old truck crunched loudly on the gravel as they pulled into Nicole’s driveway and continued past the garage and onto the trail back behind the house. Waverly quirked an eyebrow in question, but Nicole ignored it and continued on. “You know, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come back just to find you? I had been here 10 months and had almost completely resigned myself to the fact that I would likely never see you again when you appeared seemingly out of thin air. I thought I imagined you. I was so wound up from everything that just happened that I actually thought I was having an anxiety induced hallucination.” Nicole laughed a shaky little thing.

Waverly smiled at her rubbing soothing circles over Nicole’s thumb. “I’m glad you came back Nic. I should have never let you drift so far in the first place.” Waverly said, as the truck slowed to an easy stop. It was dark out, and once Nicole killed the headlights, the only hint of light left was from the sliver of a moon above them. Waverly searched in vain for a hint of their whereabouts, but the dark was all consuming and she could barely make out her hand in front of her face. “Nic, where the heck are we? I can’t see a thing.”

“Oh, give me a second.” Nicole pulled her hand from Waverly’s and grabbed her phone from her pocket. A few seconds later, the soft glow of yellow illuminated the tree high above them.

Waverly gasped, and her grip on Nicole’s thigh tightened. “Nic? Is that?...” She knew what it was, of course she did. But her mind misfired and she was so in awe of the sight of it, she was not quite able to finish her thought. 

The excitement in Nicole’s features were barely visible through the dim glow of her cell phone. “Is that what? Our childhood tree house? Our safe haven? Our secret hideout? All of the above?” Waverly could hear the smile in Nicole’s voice more than she could see it and when Nicole leaned in close to whisper in her ear, she just about lost it. “Yeah Waves, it is.” Goosebumps erupted on her skin at the sensation of Nicole’s breath, hot on her neck

“Nic, what are we doing at the old tree house? I thought you said we had dinner reservations?” Waverly asked, trying her best to maintain control of her own devices.

“Well, why don’t you follow me and find out.” Nicole pecked Waverly’s cheek playfully before opening the heavy steel door and hopping out of the truck. Her boots hit the damp forest ground with a satisfying thud. Then, in a hesitant invitation to follow, her steady hand reached out for Waverly.

Wordlessly, Waverly took Nicole’s outstretched hand and followed her the short distance from the truck to the base of the tree where there was now a narrow spiral staircase that twisted it’s way up the trunk. It was a vast improvement over the salvaged 2x4 wood rungs Nicole had haphazardly hammered into the tree when they were kids. “Come on.” Nicole said as she led Waverly up and around the stairs, until they reached the bottom of the tree house. When they were kids, the opening was just a gaping hole, they crawled through with hopes they wouldn’t fall out while they were playing. Now a finely crafted wood door was settled at the opening in the floor instead. Her forearm resting firmly on the door, Nicole pushed it open with a small huff. The warm yellow glow from the inside lights, shone bright on Nicole’s face revealing her excitement and nervousness as they took the final few steps into the treehouse. 

Hand over her mouth, Waverly gasped as she took in the place she had once felt the safest and most at home. “Nicole, what did you do?” She asked in amazement at what had become of their old sanctuary. The space wasn’t overly large, but Nicole had managed to comfortably fit in a futon and some bean bag chairs on one side with her comic books, board games and electric fireplace. The other much smaller side boasted a small kitchen nook complete with a dining table, cabinets and even a compact electric stove for good measure. The space was virtually unrecognizable from the borderline dangerous mess of a tree house they called theirs as kids.

Waverly turned to the tree trunk that shot up and through the center of the tree house.  She smoothed the pads of her fingertips over the rough bark until she felt the dip. She traced the sharp angles of the “NH+WE” surrounded by a heart carved crudely into the trunk. She smiled and laughed to herself as she moved her hand slightly to the right, feeling the “4EvA” scarred into the bark. Wynonna had snuck in one night and carved their initials into the tree as a prank and when Nicole noticed it the following day, she turned bright red and tried everything in her power to hide it from Waverly. Of course that only drew more attention to it and Waverly found out regardless. 

Even way back then, Waverly's small fingers traced the letters with the same delicacy they did today, before she pulled away swiftly and held her hand out to Nicole. “Gimme” Was all the middle schooler needed to say, for Nicole to pull out her small pocket knife and place it in Waverly’s open hand. Nicole’s hand shook as she handed it over, fearing what the smaller girl would do to deface it. Instead, Waverly carved the “4EvA” into the tree that day and vowed that it would be the two of them, together until the end of time.

“I, uh… Do you not like it?” Nicole asked hesitantly.

Waverly let out a laugh of disbelief. “Nicole, of course I like it. It’s incredible. It’s everything I ever wished it was when we were kids.”

Nicole’s cheeks went burned and she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “I, I know. I did my best, to make it what you wished for. Everything I could remember you saying, I tried to do.”

Waverly grumbled and wrapped her arms around Nicole in a firm hug. “Why are you so damn perfect, even after all these years?” She halfheartedly complained, her face buried in the dip of Nicole’s neck, vanilla invading her senses.

Nicole held her close, nuzzling her face into the side of Waverly’s hair. “You know that’s far from true. I’ve just been utterly, undeniably, infatuated by the same girl since I was eight years old and am willing to do anything and everything in my power just to see her smile.”

“Eight years old, huh?” Waverly poked. “Seems like she’d have to be pretty amazing to keep the eye of a catch like you.”

“Yeah, she’s alright I guess.” Nicole snarked, earning a pinch to the side from Waverly. She jumped back quickly and looked down at a pouting Waverly. Long delicate fingers gripped Waverly’s chin and tilted so she was forced to look at her. “Waverly Earp, you are extraordinary. I’m the one that should be worryin’ ‘bout keeping your eye.” She said with a grin as she dipped down for a feather light kiss. “Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s been a day and I'm hungry as hell. Whatcha you say we eat dinner, so we can get on with dessert.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come say hey on the twitters if ya want @actuallysoftaf


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, the conclusion to the date. Probably NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, what up fam, enjoy the newest chapter. Writing this has reminded me that I have not had sex since the start of quarantine last year. I am struggling and just wanted everyone to know.   
> Anyway promises must be delivered upon and as such here is what I promised so many moons ago.  
> Almost forgot to mention. I kinda meshed their perspectives together a little in this one. LMK if it was confusing or anything.   
> As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated.  
> ps sorry I can't update more frequently right now. My life is kinda a shit show.   
> PPS how about that trailer. shit was fire. Also lets not forget to #bringwynonnahome

Nicole: July 2019

After a simple dinner of Chinese take out and fancy wine, so kindly delivered to the tree house via one Xavier Dolls, Nicole and Waverly moved over to the futon where they continued to talk about anything and everything. Somewhere along the line, Nicole even asked her to travel back to Arizona with her for the holidays. Yeah, Thanksgiving and Christmas were still like six months away, but if Waverly was anything like she remembered, she would need plenty of time to plan.

"Oh my god, Nicole we can go to the Grand Canyon!" Waverly squealed in excitement. 

"Yeah, sure Waves, whatever you want." Nicole shook her head with a melancholy smile at Waverly’s enthusiasm. 

Nicole actually loved it there. Ever since she was a kid, she and Sam would take a few kayaking and rock climbing trips a year but since he passed, she hadn't built up the courage to go back.

Waverly must have sensed her hesitancy. "Nicole Haught, why are you not so super incredibly excited to take your girlfriend to the Grand Canyon?" Waverly's hand shot up to her mouth, covering it in an instant. Her eyes were the size of saucers, but when an apology started to spill from her lips, Nicole shut her down before she could get more than two words out. "Nicole, I'm"

Nicole was absolutely beaming with joy. "Nope, stop whatever you're thinking, stop. Waverly Earp there would be nothing in this world I would love to do more than take my girlfriend to see the Grand Canyon come winter." Nicole said with a sincere smile. But then she finished with, "Now if only I had one." and Waverly's jaw hit the floor. And if Nicole thought her eyes were huge before, she had no idea just how large they could get. Nicole held in her lopsided grin for as long as she could, but as soon her dimple peeked through, she knew it was game over. The laugh that overtook her started quiet and stifled at first, but soon turned into something loud and uncontrollable. 

Waverly sat silently next to her, legs tucked under her body on the couch. She scowled at the hysterical Nicole long and hard, before the redhead finally started to calm down.

When the laughter was but a strangled whisper, Waverly finally spoke up. "You think you're real funny don't you, Nic?"

Nicole stifled another fit of giggles before continuing. "I do, I really do. I'm not sure if my beautiful, amazing, incredible girlfriend thinks the same though." She said wiping the tears from her eyes and sobering up some.

With a sly smile, Waverly raised an eyebrow at her. "She thinks a lot of things, but maybe just leave the jokes to Wynonna."

“You wound me, Waves. You dare deprive me of my best trait?” Nicole said with a hand to her heart. Waverly just stared at her and did not budge a hair, so of course Nicole caved. "Fine, but only because my girlfriend asked." The word was sweet as sugar on her tongue. Nicole sighed contentedly, relaxing back into the futon and inviting Waverly into her space again.

Waverly cuddled back into Nicole’s side where she always felt most comfortable and spoke softly. "So girlfriends huh?"

"Mmm" Nicole agreed with a quick nod of her head. “No take backs.” Waverly’s head was snuggled into the crook of Nicole's neck, her hair tickling Nicole’s nose. Nicole nuzzled down deeper before planting a firm kiss atop Waverly's head and continuing her thought. "I mean I've kind of wanted you to be my girlfriend since I kissed Kate that first summer down in AZ."

Waverly pushed up from her spot on Nicole's chest. "Wait, you never told me you kissed Kate. You just said you were friends and she kept you company when you were stuck at your grandparents."

Nicole looked at her in disbelief. "Sure I did Waves remember we played at my grandparents ranch for a few days then Mam lost her shit on us cause she saw us kissin'. It weren't even that great, but it did make me realize I may have had a small crush on you even way back then. I remember kissing her and thinking, 'I wonder if Waverly’s lips are this soft.' Not gonna lie, it kinda freaked me out so I just buried everything deep down and tried not to think about it. It wasn't until we were like 11 or 12 that them feelings started coming to the surface again.”

Taking a second to think before she spoke, Waverly asked, “Isn’t that about the same time your mom started dating Erik?”

Nicole scratched her head and tried to remember. I was such a long time ago you see. “Oh yeah! That night I saw him kissin' my mom, right after I punched him in the face, she was lecturing me and said something that made it seem like she knew I had a crush on you. I mean I very obviously did, but still I almost spiraled into a full existential crisis. I think I hid from you for like a week straight. It was kinda a lot for my little gay brain.”

Waverly laughed. “I was fuming when I found you up here. Then I just got jealous when you started talking about making friends with Dolls. Oh my god, was that the day I called you my sister?" Waverly gasped in remembrance. "Wait, did you just say you punched your future step dad in the face?"

Nicole cringed at the memory. “Yeah I may have forgot to mention that lil' part. I guess my mom kept her promise to not tell you.” She laughed. “Nevermind that though, it's not important. That was the day you damn near broke my little gay heart into a million peices and you didn’t even know it.”

Waverly gave her a pitying smile. “I’m so sorry Nicole. If it makes you feel any better, I wanted to wash my mouth out with soap the moment I said it. You started talking about Dolls and I felt all twisted up inside, like if I shared you with anyone my world would end. I was super confused and I just thought I wanted to be with you like family, but it felt so wrong as soon as it left my lips. I think it may have scarred me for life, I still remember it so vividly."

Nicole couldn't contain the smile that peeked out the corner of her mouth. "We were both pretty useless weren't we?" She laughed.

Waverly sighed, once again snuggling back into Nicole’s side. Nicole wrapped her arm around her shoulders and held her close. "You know I kissed you once." Waverly whispered into Nicole’s chest so quietly, Nicole thought she imagined it for a second.

Nicole pulled back from Waverly to look at her closer. She had to be joking. She would definitely remember if Waverly Earp kissed her in her childhood. "Quit goofing Waves, you did not. I think I would have definitely remembered that."

Waverly moved back a little so her knees weren’t digging into Nicole’s thigh. "I'm not Nic, I swear. We were out here after school, it was a few days after Bunny hit you with her car. You broke your arm and had a nasty concussion, remember."

"How could I forget, she hit me so hard my shoes flew off! Then she tried to blame me for the whole thing. Even wanted us to pay for the damage to her car. My mom had to threaten to sue and press charges just to get her to back off. Then, she told the whole town I had a death wish and was trying to kill myself." Nicole snorted at the very foggy memory of the incident. Most everything up until she went home from the hospital was a blank. She'd occasionally get weird little images or conversations stuck in her head from those days following, but nothing ever concrete. It left her more than a little confused as to what was real and what she had dreamt up.

"So it was a few days after that." Waverly said nonchalantly as she tried to sneakily scootch back into Nicole’s side. 

Nicole slunk back, shot her a confused look, and urged her to continue. “Waves, you can’t do that. You can’t drop a bomb on me like that, then not elaborate even the slightest.”

Waverly sighed, before continuing. "Okay well if you must know the details, you fell asleep against the wall while reading some comics or something. And I just leaned down and kissed you." Waverly said with a shrug of her shoulder, like she hadn't just tipped Nicole's world upside-down. 

"Well go on? There's definitely more to it than that. I can feel it in my bones." Nicole pressed. She was invested now. She had gotten a peek into little Waverly’s mind and needed to know more. Despite Waverly’s attempt to brush this under the rug, Nicole had sunk her claws in deep and was not letting go until she got all the details.

Waverly sighed again, heavier and more exaggerated this time. “Fine, when she hit you, all these weird feelings came up and made me feel things I was sure you wouldn’t reciprocate. We were so young, I was confused. I saw you sleeping there and you looked so beautiful even in your too big basketball hoodie and boots and hat. Oh and if I’m not mistaken I think you were wearing those awful camo cargo shorts that you refused to let anyone touch in fear that they would be thrown away.”

“Hey those were great shorts! You’re just upset because I looked so good you couldn’t resist kissing me.” Nicole interrupted.

Waverly gave her a stern look, their eyes locking briefly. “Would you like me to continue?” She scolded, her voice seemingly dropping an octave with her words.

Nicole broke their eye contact with a blush, trying to get her mind out of the gutter. “P- Please continue.” Waverly’s look and tone, stoked something deep in her. Push it down just a little longer when the time is right, it’ll be worth the wait, she thought to herself. 

Waverly looked a little too smug while she finished telling her story. “Well, I’m pretty sure you were still recovering from a concussion. I found you sleeping up here when I got home from school. I tried to wake you to take you back home, but you just smiled and mumbled something about how pretty I was. That whole week was filled with the most compliments I’d ever received from anyone nonetheless you. I couldn’t help myself really, it was like I had no choice. My body was moving on it’s own and the next thing I knew, I was kissing you. It lasted two seconds, top. I was so embarrassed I biked home without you.”

“Wow, I can’t believe you abandoned me like that.” Nicole laughed. “I definitely don’t recall showering you with that many compliments though. I must of had a brain injury or somethin’. If only I had woken up we could have saved ourselves a lot of heartache.”

Waverly smiled at her, taking Nicole’s hand in her own. “Maybe, but even so, I don’t think I was ready to admit to myself the depths of my feelings and what that actually meant for my life.” Waverly explained with a heavy heart. “I hid that part of myself for so long, I almost forgot it was even there, especially after you left. I dated who I was supposed to and did what was expected of me. I had no reason not to.”

Nicole tugged Waverly’s hands and pulled her so she was sitting bridal style across her lap. Nicole wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on Waverly’s shoulder. She felt the brunette relax into her and rest her head against her chest. “I'm sorry Waverly, I wish things could have been different. If I had any choice in the matter, I would have never left. I knew what leaving would do to you, to us, but I went anyway and I stayed away for far too long.” Nicole confessed, holding back tears she didn’t really wish her new girlfriend to see.

Waverly began to rub soothing circles into the soft skin of Nicole’s arm as if aware of the subtle change in Nicole. “Nicole we were kids, you were a kid. We were slaves to the wills of others. There was really nothing you could have done.”

Nicole knew she was right. Waverly always was, but it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t come home. She made a promise and she spent her entire adult life running from it. It had always eaten her up that she didn’t go home to Waverly after graduating, but now with her first love sitting in her lap, the reality of what she had avoided was starting to kick in. Her breathing increased and she was sure Waverly could hear her heart flop out of her chest as she continued. “No, but I promised that I’d always come home to you, no matter what, remember. And somewhere along the way I forgot that. I forgot that I needed you the same way I needed air. I felt stagnant, like I was just floatin’ my way through life, watchin’ the world pass me by. It’s why I came back. After everythin’ with my uncle, I realized life is too short to be lived in what if’s and maybe laters. We never know how much time we have on this earth and I wanted to make sure every second I spend here is worth something to me. Through all my experiences and bullshit tragedies, it was always you that got me through. I remember as a kid all I wanted was to be the person you thought I was. Anytime things got too dark or I’d get too caught up in my head, I'd think “ _ what would Waverly say _ ?” and most of the time I was able to make a good decision. In the end, it was you that drew me back here. Yeah, the last time I had been to the homestead, it was in shambles and you were nowhere to be seen, but it was all I had left of you, and I was ready to search a lifetime to get you back. Even if we were destined to only be friends, I couldn’t and still can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.”

Waverly gazed at her quietly, wide eyed and awestruck, waiting for Nicole to finish. With all the excitement and anxiety Nicole was feeling tonight, her thoughts spilled out raw and unfiltered, and she was finding it difficult to stop. “Imagine my surprise when I saw you at the river. I could see in your eyes something had shifted, though. The confusion you carried as a kid was replaced by something strong and secure, like you knew exactly what you wanted and I was almost certain that thing was me.” 

Finally after all these years, she was exactly where she wanted to be. A place she never thought possible, but prayed for with every fiber of her being. She looked into Waverly’s bright hazel eyes, turned vibrant green under the soft yellow glow of the fairy lights that now lined the inside of the treehouse. The look of wonder gazing back at her, never ceased to amaze her. They pressed something deep down inside of her and she knew in that moment, sitting in the place they called their sanctuary as kids, that she was going to spend the rest of her life under the spell of Waverly Earp and there was nothing she could do, nor wanted to do to stop it.

Nicole/Waverly

Nicole brushed a stray hair from Waverly’s face and smiled down at her softly, her heart thump thumping in her chest. Waverly’s gaze reflected her own, the tension in the air rolled in like a thick fog. Nicole watched Waverly’s eyes chase her lips as she licked them before speaking again. “Waves, Ima kiss you now.” She said, before leaning down and pressing their lips together softly. This would never get old, Nicole could kiss Waverly a million times and it would alway feel like the first. Nicole deepened it briefly, electricity buzzing around them, before she pulled away in a daze. Waverly’s pupils were blown, her normally hazel eyes dark with desire, her breath shallow and baited.  _ Take it slow _ , Nicole reminded herself. It was the last cohesive thought she had before Waverly turned to straddle her lap, her tight pink skirt sliding up with the position, as she crashed their lips back together in a frantic embrace. 

Nicole’s breath hitched when she felt Waverly grind down onto her lap. Skilled hands threaded through the thick red hair at the base of Nicole’s skull, tugging her closer. Nicole released a guttural moan and gripped Waverlys hips, encouraging her to grind harder. Waverly broke the kiss, dragging her lips down the dip of Nicole’s neck only to bite down harshly on her pulse point. 

“Fuck, Waves.” Nicole groaned in ecstasy. Her hips bucked at the sensation right as Waverly ground back down, causing a strangled gasp to leave the younger woman’s mouth. Shaking hands traced down the outsides of Waverly’s thighs, following the same path back up, until her fingertips settled right beneath the hem of the delicate pink fabric that had bunched high on her thighs. Waverly’s skirt was riding up enough now, that Nicole could see the lacy black of her thong peeking through. She gripped the exposed skin, and held her breath as she pushed the skirt even higher. Waverly’s hips rolled as she responded to her touch, her head dipping back in pleasure. 

Nicole could feel that familiar heat sink low in her belly, she was passing the point of no return. She was losing control and she wasn’t quite sure she wanted it back anytime soon. Waverly came first though, more than anything, she had to be sure Waverly was ready to take this step with her. There could be no regret or hesitation. It would surely destroy her if there was. So, Nicole pulled back softly, moving her hands to rest on either side of Wavelry’s waist. “Waves are you sure? There’s no rush. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” She said through baited breath, her eyes filled with hesitancy, concern and just a dash of love.

Waverly sat back on her knees, her chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. Her wavy brown hair fell into her face, fingers instinctually raking through it and pushing it to the side. They stared at each other just long enough for Nicole to start to doubt her current life choices before Waverly spoke up. “Nicole, I want to. I was sure I wanted to since you convinced 

me to jump off that fucking cliff the other day. Now, please just shut up and take what is yours.”

Nicole did not need to be told twice. She swiftly stood, picking Waverly up with her. Waverly gasped in surprise when Nicole tossed her a little too easily onto one of the nearby bean bags. “Nicole! What in god’s name are you doing?” She squealed, just a little confused and disheveled. 

Ignoring her, Nicole fiddled with the futon until it changed from a couch into a queen sized bed. “Thank god I splurged for the high end mattress” She thought as resituated the blankets, then bent down, picked Waverly back up in a whirlwind and tossed her gently on the bed.

Perched up on her elbows, Waverly was all giggles, until Nicole started stalking towards her like a predator narrowing in on their prey. Their eyes locked shooting sparks between them. Nimble fingers worked each little button of her shirt until they were all undone. Her once laughable button up hung open, exposing the defined outline of her abs and bra clad breasts. Waverly’s mouth fell open as Nicole let the fabric fall down her shoulders and onto the floor beneath her with a smirk. Through blown pupils, Nicole watched Waverly swallow hard as her hand slowly moved to undo the button of her jeans. She drew the thick denim down the length of her legs, not missing the dark spot near her crotch where Waverly had been grinding just a minute prior.

A quiet whimper left the brunette’s lips when Nicole stood full height in only her boxers and sports bra. Waverly’s mind was racing a mile a minute, the only real thought being, please don’t stop. Her body feeling like she was burning from the inside out, Waverly reached for the hem of her own shirt, in an attempt to rid herself of it. Only then, did Nicole move swiftly, her knee hit the bed solid between Waverly’s thighs with a suddenness the brunette wasn’t expecting. Nicole gripped Waverly’s wrists in a firm but gentle hold to keep her from removing it just yet. Then, she leaned in just a hair from Waverly’s ear and husked, “Now now, someone’s a little impatient”, the deep timbre of her voice, lower than Waverly had ever heard. A rush of heat shot straight to her core and she writhed under the press of Nicole’s body. 

Nicole rubbed gentle circles into the skin on her wrists burning deep into Waverly’s bones. Her weight settled over her as she pressed down onto Waverly’s squirming body. “Please, let me.” Nicole whispered in the younger woman’s ear, “I have been dreaming about this exact moment since I was sixteen years old.” 

Waverly nodded fervently. She was struggling to control her breathing, and could feel the slickness gathering between her legs. Nicole removed her hands from slender wrists, tracing her way towards the stifling lace of Waverly’s shirt, pulled high around her waist. Her hands slid under, palms flat against overheated skin, she paused. “Remember, Waves, if you say stop, I stop. No matter what.” 

Apparently Nicole did need to be told twice. Waverly groaned in frustration, her skin was on fire and she felt like she was going to explode if Nicole didn’t start touching her soon. “Baby, I swear to god, if you stop right now I will actually murder you then bring you back to life just to have my way with you. Now if you don’t get me undressed this instant, I am going to do it myself and deprive you of your childhood fantasy.” She threatened in a shaky voice.

Nicole laughed softly. “You wouldn’t dare.” 

Waverly raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Are you really willing to find out?”

Nicole let out a low grumble. “Not a fucking chance” she smirked as her hands continued their journey upwards, dragging Waverly’s shirt up and over a mess of golden brown waves. Nicole tossed the shirt somewhere to be found later and took in the goddess beneath her. A scandalous black lace bra adorned the delicate skin of tan breasts and Nicole’s breath hitched at the sight. Waverly’s chest rose and fell with every heavy breath and Nicole thanked her lucky stars for everything that brought her to this moment. Their eyes met for a moment, both burning with desire and adoration. Nicole dipped down and kissed Waverly fiercely, their tongues dancing in a fiery embrace, her palm fire on the now bare skin of Waverly’s stomach. 

Waverly moaned as Nicole’s mouth scorched a trail down the sharp line of her jaw, past the smooth skin of her neck and attached itself firmly right above the intricate lace of her newest bra. Perfect teeth bit down harshly and then sucked until a bloom of purple erupted on her breast, pulling a sharp gasp from Waverly’s mouth. 

Nicole growled into the goosebumped skin, she was loving every second of this. Her hand reached the clasp of Waverly’s bra and with a satisfied smile, she swiftly undid it. She rid Waverly of the material with a sigh. It was the second time she had seen her topless and she had already memorized every soft curve and gentle peak. Waverly tugged incessantly at Nicole’s bra, urging her to remove it. Nicole pulled it over her head in one swift move, their pace becoming more frantic by the second. 

Nicole pressed her lips back to Waverly’s, magnetic and wild. The build up had been years in the making and Nicole was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain control. Her thigh pushed firmly between Waverly’s legs, as her mouth moved to take a nipple into her mouth. 

For Waverly the warmth was instant, spreading like wildfire from her chest down to her overheated core. Lithe fingers curled against the blankets gripping them tightly at the sensation. “Fuck, Nic.” She whined, when Nicole released her with a smirk, blowing cool air on the scorched flesh, then giving her the same treatment to her other side.

Nicole’s hand slid down the side of Waverly’s waist, searching for the zipper of her skirt. She pulled back in a huff as she worked to rid Waverly of the fabric. Waverly lifted her hips and soft but calloused hands brushed the entirety of her legs as she ripped the garment from her girlfriend’s body. Biting down harshly on her own bottom lip, Nicole sat back on her knees, her fingertips resting just under the top of Waverly’s thong, eyes locked on the darkened spot of arousal covering her centre. She inhaled deeply, pausing for a brief second before they passed the point of no return. Their eyes met and Waverly nodded, giving Nicole the reassurance she needed to take that final step. With a shaky breath Nicole slid the damp fabric painfully slowly down the length of Waverly’s legs.

Waverly was laid bare before her, her body trembling under Nicole’s heated gaze. She was all soft skin, perfect curves and everything Nicole ever dreamed of. The brunette bit her lip and stared up at her through hooded eyes, pupils blown and feral. And that was the moment Nicole finally lost any semblance of control she had left. She crashed their lips back together in a frenzy basking in the warmth of Waverly’s mouth and skin. The kiss was rushed and left them both breathless as Nicole traveled down the hills and valleys of Waverly’s body. Since the day in the garage, when Nicole had been so close to this point, all she could think about was how she would do anything just to get a taste of the woman she pined over for so long. She wrapped her mouth around a taut nipple and lavished it with her tongue, her other hand squeezing and rolling until Waverly was writhing beneath her. Then the warmth of Nicole’s hand disappeared, only to burn a trail through neatly trimmed curls and into the silky heat that forever called to her not a second later.

Waverly did not move and she did not breath as Nicole finally slid her middle finger through molten heat. She drew a line from Waverly’s core to her clit, circling it briefly before removing it completely, earning a disapproving groan from the woman beneath her. Nicole gently drew her mouth away from Waverly’s breast, the drag of blunt teeth sending a shiver down her spine, and smirked before bringing her soaked fingers to her mouth and sucking them clean. 

She pulled her fingers from her mouth with a moan, the taste like a drink of water on a scorching day. "Breath, Baby." She rasped, “Tell me what you need.” her voice low and assertive. 

Waverly’s mouth fell open, as she let out a pitiful whine. Her mind was on overdrive, Nicole had already turned her into an overstimulated mess and she had barely even touched where she needed her most. Her brain turned to mush, she stuttered the only thing her clouded mind could muster. “Y- you, Nic. I need you.”

Nicole did not miss the double meaning behind Waverly’s words and she fell just a little further with the thought. She settled between Waverly’s thighs, throwing toned legs over muscled shoulders. “Waverly?” she said, willing the younger woman to look at her before she continued. When their eyes met, Nicole gave her a reassuring smile. “I need you too.” She rasped in a tone that betrayed the love and admiration that phrase held.

Waverly never stood a chance, before she had even processed what she had said, Nicole’s mouth connected with her, like liquid heat. It was hot and slick and Waverly was sure she was going to explode. “Fuck” Waverly gasped, as her body and mind neared the edge. One hand curled in a blanket, the other tangled in Nicole’s hair, Waverly pulled, urging the redhead deeper. 

Nicole growled into Waverly, the vibrations rumbling through her entire body, as her hand tugged and guided. 

Nicole could feel her own wetness gather between her thighs, her boxers becoming more stifling by the second. She reached down, working her own clit in tight circles as she flicked and licked Waverly’s. Strangled moans and erratic breathing filled the room. Nicole could feel Waverly getting close, her body shook and her legs trembled. Nicole swiftly removed her fingers from her own core and slowly pushed them deep inside Waverly’s just as she sucked her clit into her mouth.

"Fuck, Nicole!" Waverly gasped as a whole new sensation took her over, shoving her just a little closer to the edge. Nicole's thrusts were excruciatingly slow at first, successfully working her into a writhing mess as she gradually increased her pace. The sounds of moans and languid, wet thrusting filled the room and never did Waverly think sex could be so god damn hot. Feeling Waverly’s body tense, Nicole sped up her movements curling her fingers up into Waverly’s front wall with each draw back. 

Her release took her by surprise, Waverly’s entire body tensed and snapped in the matter of seconds as she clenched and pulsed tightly around skilled fingers. Her grip tightened in Nicole’s hair, the redhead releasing a deep moan in response.

Nicole slowed her movements, but did not remove her fingers nor her mouth as she brought Waverly down from the edge with slow steady movements. She continued to lick through silky folds, cleaning up the evidence of Waverly’s release. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Waverly's body stilled and relaxed. Nicole removed her fingers, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and looked up at Waverly with her ever present, cocky as fuck, megawatt smile.

"You good, Baby." Nicole asked as she kissed her way up a toned body.

Waverly just hummed. Eyes still closed, she let the sensation of Nicole's mouth and body over her ripple through, every kiss like a rock thrown into a calm pond, working her up all over again. Nicole found Waverly’s mouth and kissed her soft but deep. Waverly, moaning at the taste of herself on her lover's lips, tangled her hand into short red hair, pulling firmly until Nicole was forced to pull away with a groan.

"Fuck Waves. What are you doing to me?" She growled, her own fire still burning, yet to be quenched.

"Too much?" Waverly asked through a facade of innocence. Hazel eyes bore into brown, and never did Nicole think she would have a thing for hair pulling but here she was, completely broken by the tiny woman under her. It shouldn't have been a surprise, she always was a sucker to anything Waverly wanted of her.

"Never." Nicole smirked, two could play at that game. Her hand trailed back down the length of Waverly’s body, fingertips burning a path back to Waverly’s hypersensitive core.

Waverly tugged at Nicole’s hair again, her grip stopping the redhead in her tracks. "Uh uh. You had your fun, it's my turn now." She said with finality and promptly pushed Nicole off her to flip their positions.

Nicole gasped in surprise, but the sight of a completely naked Waverly straddling her took any air she had left right on out of her lungs. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I can wait." She said with hesitancy. 

Waverly gave her a devilish look, "I want to Nic." then leaned into Nicole, the bare skin of their breasts pressing softly together. "Besides, it's not like you're the only one with teenage fantasies here and I'm a quick study." She whispered in her ear.

The smaller woman wasted no time in leaning back in and taking a hard nipple into her mouth. She sucked it then swirled and flicked her tongue, before releasing it with a drag of her teeth. 

Nicole moaned and squirmed against Waverly’s touch, her hands hot against the bare skin of Waverly’s ass. Nicole's own hips bucked as Waverly bit down harshly on her other side, only to soothe it with the warmth of her tongue. Waverly broke free with a grin, her hands, practically branding Nicole’s waist where they rested.

She rolled her hips, leaving a smear of wetness across the pale skin of a defined stomach. Through the faint glow of the fairy lights, Nicole's core throbbed at the sight of Waverly bare and exposed above her. Another roll and Nicole let out a soft whimper. She was starting to lose herself and if Waverly didn't start touching her soon, she was going to start doing it herself. Instead, Waverly started a steady grind, coating Nicole’s stomach with her slickness. Nicole matched her pace, thrusting up every time Waverly pressed down.

"Fuck Baby, you are so fucking beautiful." Nicole choked out through baited breath. Her hands traveled up the length of Waverly’s torso, cupping her breasts softly. She pinched and pulled at sensitive buds, bucking her hips when Waverly gasped in surprise.

Slowly but surely, Waverly shuffled her way down Nicole’s body, littering it with barely there kisses on her way, until she was kneeling between long slender legs. "I think you are quite overdressed, Love." Waverly husked, her fingertips right under the waistline of Nicole's most certainly ruined underwear. 

Nicole nodded fervently and lifted her hips, allowing Waverly to drag the soaked piece of fabric quickly down her legs. Waverly licked her lips at the sight of Nicole's glistening cunt. "Fuck Nic, you are so fucking wet.” Waverly choked out at the sight. It was almost overwhelming, being in this space like this with the first and possibly only person she'd ever loved. Waverly stared for a second too long, trying to determine her next course of action, she hadn’t really planned this far ahead and was a little scrambled on where to go from here.

Nicole read her like a book. “Right here, Baby.” She said, patting her thigh. 

Waverly took the suggestion in stride, swiftly moving to straddle the muscular flesh.

“Come ‘ere.” Nicole said as she coaxed Waverly down into a gentle kiss. She hissed at the sensation of Waverly’s bare skin pushing on slick folds as their mouths met. Nicole moaned as Waverly ground down, the pressure from Nicole’s thigh, shooting ripples of electricity through her clit and up her entire body. 

Nicole’s body was vibrating and she wasn’t sure how much more teasing she could take. She had been wound so tightly since the night at the river, she was sure it wouldn’t take much more to send her off. But still, she still needed more. “Baby, I know you’re new at this, but if you don’t touch me soon, I might actually die.” Nicole whined in all her dramatics. Waverly released a quiet laugh at her girlfriend’s antics, some of the tension dissipating around them. Her brow twitched in a moment of hesitancy, before Nicole cupped her cheek in a gentle embrace. “Hey, don’t overthink it. Just read my body and you’ll do great.” She said, bringing Waverly’s lips to meet her own. When they pulled away, hazel eyes were sparkling and Nicole knew Waverly was finally ready to take the plunge. “Besides,” Nicole said, corking a smile against Waverly’s lips. “You did say you’re a quick study.” 

Waverly let out a light laugh, her nervousness bubbling out with it, unwavering confidence filling her in its place. “Well, I better get to it then.” She said with a smirk. 

Next thing Nicole knew, delicate fingers were working their way through molten heat. She took her time, exploring every fold with care and attention. Waverly’s touch grazed Nicole’s clit and the redhead moaned in pleasure. Waverly took note immediately, moving to circle the swollen bud with the pad of her finger. Without further thought, Waverly slid a single finger deep into Nicole’s cunt, causing a strangled moan to ripple through the air. Every thrust into Nicole, she ground herself down harder on her thigh, chasing her own release. 

“More, Waves. I need more.” Nicole stuttered through short breaths. On the next thrust, Waverly added one more finger, and felt Nicole’s walls start to flutter around her. Waverly increased her pace, the base of her palm hitting just right on Nicole’s clit.

“Fuck Waves. I’m close.” Nicole gasped, her body coiled tightly, ready to snap. “God, you’re so fucking good at that.”

Waverly’s wrist burned, but Nicole’s encouragement spurred her on, the pulse on her own clit growing stronger by the second. Waverly sped up her efforts, curling her fingers with every pull just as Nicole had done maybe thirty minutes ago. Her body shook as her orgasm neared but she stayed focused on the task at hand. She was going to make Nicole cum. Two more hard thrusts and a well placed hit to Nicole’s clit was all it took for the redhead to barrel into her release. Waverly ground down once more, the sound of Nicole's euphoric moans and the feel of tight walls clenching and pulsing hard around her fingers sent her own orgasm crashing over her in the process.

Waverly collapsed on Nicole, the thin layer of sweat they had earned almost gluing them together. When her body finally stopped shaking and the aftershocks of her release subsided, Waverly finally managed to speak. "Holy McNuggets," she said out of breath, her head resting heavily against the taller woman's chest. "I didn't know sex could be like that."

Nicole half laughed under her. "Me either Baby, me fucking either." Her hand started soothing circles on Waverly’s back, and Waverly could feel the glorious call of sleep singing her name. "Umm, come 'ere." Nicole coaxed, their lips meeting in a tender embrace. When they finally broke apart, Waverly could barely keep her eyes open. "You wanna head back to my place?" Nicole asked, running her hand gently through Waverly's tousled locks.

Waverly rolled off Nicole with a groan, "Do we have to?" She said as she snuggled into Nicole’s side just as she had done a thousand times before. She looked up at Nicole through long lashes and sleepy eyes and Nicole saw, really saw the amazing person she fell in love with all them years ago. Her heart swelled at the realization that feelings that deep never quite fade away completely. She was nowhere near ready to commit to that idea yet though. It was far too soon, but still the thought bumped around in her head, sticky sweet like honey.

She placed a feather light kiss to the younger woman's head, basking in sandalwood and wildflowers, "Nah Baby, we can stay here as long as you want." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I briefly thought about ending the whole thing here but I think we still have some story to tell.   
> LMK what you think


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